


Isekai Eden Cat bar

by JoySeeker101



Category: Bartender (Anime & Manga & Drama), 異世界食堂 | Isekai Shokudou | Restaurant to Another World (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Bartenders, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episodic Chapters, Interdimensional bar, Slice of Life, cocktails
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-24 09:55:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 39,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30070485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoySeeker101/pseuds/JoySeeker101
Summary: Once a week on Saturday, as soon as the sun sets, a strange door with a simple and unassuming oval bronze plaque with ‘Eden Cat.’ written on it in an elegant font would appear.The door would look unremarkable, just well-polished and smooth reddish wood, and standing perfectly straight in the middle of nowhere by itself, or even taking its place on walls that normally would not hold doors any other day of the week.Should one open it, a room would appear beyond its frame, even if the door was just there, in the middle of the street, a dimly-lit bar would still be there waiting for the new guest to enter.It was not only the Bartender to be ‘Magical’ in its abilities, though, the door of the bar itself was indeed Magical, literally.It does not appear randomly in the human world only, but also in different realities and worlds inhabited by strange creatures of every size and shape.These are the stories of the ‘Eden Cat’ Bar, and of its Bartender Ryu Sasakura, also known as “God’s Glass”.
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Technically this story is listed as "Completed" but this because by being a "Slice of Life" it has the potential to be infinite.  
> I will update it whenever inspiration for a new "Episode" strikes me.
> 
> A small fusion of the manga “Bartender” and “Western Restaurant to Another World”, only with a way WIDER pool of Customers.
> 
> I wanted to try a “Slice of Life” Story for once, and in order to do so, the chapters had to be shorter still, more than usual, and to make up for it, I decided to have 2 episodes per chapter (2000 to 3000 words each) so to still give each chapter a proper length.
> 
> I am no Master Brewer/Bartender, I am taking both descriptions/reaction from the original “Bartender” Manga and/or looking on the internet for recipes/history behind the various liqueurs/cocktails that will appear here.
> 
> Should you see characters from other franchises, keep in mind this: I am trying to go a bit deeper into their humanity, beyond their ‘idolized’ character, technically they ARE living beings, they too have down times, sorrow and sadness, think outside your “shonen” for once.
> 
> I wish you the best of days.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing of all this, all rights reserved to the original owners. Please support the official releases.

_**A Little Game: Are you able to tell who are the guests that appeared in this Chapter? Tell me in the reviews!** _

**Isekai Eden Cat Chapter 1.**

Once a week on Saturday, as soon as the sun sets, a strange door with a simple and unassuming oval bronze plaque with **‘** _ **Eden Cat.’**_ written on it in an elegant font and decorated by a silhouette of a black cat lazily lying on top of the letters, would appear.

The door would look unremarkable, just well-polished and smooth reddish wood, and standing perfectly straight in the middle of nowhere by itself, or even taking its place on walls that normally would not hold doors any other day of the week.

Should one open it though, a room would appear beyond its frame, even if the door was just there, in the middle of the street, a dimly-lit bar would still be there waiting for the new guest to enter.

Elegant even in its low light, giving it a mysterious air as the few sources of light were the tiny silver lanterns in the middle of the few tables on the left side and a tiny chandelier on the ceiling, that too modest and unobtrusive...The real _Magic_ after all always happened on the right side of the bar, and every regular knew this by heart.

An extremely long counter in waxed dark wood, and behind it, simply every single bottle of alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages in existence, held in display like treasures in the faint light of the room, and on the very top of the giant window, an ice sculpture of a cat peacefully asleep.

The thing was...It was not only the Bartender to be ‘ _Magical’_ in its abilities, nor the man’s friend and partner with his dishes in the small restaurant on the floor under the bar; the door of the bar itself was indeed _Magical_ , literally.

It did not appear randomly in the human world only, but also in different realities and worlds inhabited by strange creatures of every size and shape…

These are the stories of the ‘ _ **Eden Cat’**_ _Bar_ , and of its Bartender Ryu Sasakura, also known as **“** _ **God’s Glass”.**_

 _**Episode 1:** _ **A dream dressed in black velvet.**

It was Saturday night, the last customer of the day had just left the place with a muttered ‘ _Good Night’_ while stumbling a little in his steps while closing the thick door behind himself.

“Good night, Sir.” the young Barman behind the counter, Ryu Sasakura, 27 years old, answered to his last customer with his gentle and mysterious smile never faltering until the closed door gave a faint ‘ _Click!’_ sound signifying that it was about to connect to ‘ _ **The other side’**_.

It was indeed strange for a bar to close that soon on saturday, but the guests from the Other Side always covered the lack of income from ‘ _normal’_ customers easily, so in the end, it did not matter much in the great scale of things.

“It’s almost time, do you need some help?” another voice asked gently as the lift next to the counter’s end, at the opposite side of the room compared to the entrance, opened.

“Is already late, I would hate to bother you, you too are about to start.” Ryu answered with a small smile.

“Fixing you something to help you go through the last stretch is hardly a bother, considering that now you will have to deal with the other side.” the Master of the restaurant under the bar answered.

“You already did a lot, pretending you to cook for me as well would be too much.” the Bartender answered chuckling.

“I still have to prepare for my door to become active, and to be fair, it is also my fault if your door too started connecting your place to another world...Or worlds, to be precise.”

“Nekoya was already famous in a single extra world, now because of me we both have _**several**_ worlds to serve.” Ryu said with a tired sigh.

“In my defence, that key lighted-up by itself and did all the work without me asking.”

“And your grandmother said that both doors went into conflict as soon as that happened, and fought for dominance until mine ‘ _submitted’,_ with the added result that the portal of _**my door**_ is unstable and connects to just two or three doors in several different worlds, contrary to yours that only works for another world beside this, but with a lot more doors.”

“I already said I am sorry.” the older man answered with a small chuckle.

“I don’t mind, in the end we both benefit from this, I keep sending down to you new customers whenever they are just looking for something nice to eat, and you do the same whenever one of yours looks for something particular to drink.”

“As long as we both are satisfied, then I won’t mind. Now come, we have at best ten minutes before the first guests arrive. Yesterday Kuro was gentle enough to leave aside some of her chicken curry for you, I just need to cook the rice.” the Master Chef answered while opening the elevator.

“Considering how much she loves that, I should feel honored.” the other answered while following his friend down to the restaurant.

Five years ago, young Ryu finally decided to open his own bar instead of working for others, determined to follow his own style of ‘ _Bartendering’_ after years of studies and experiences under some of the Greatest Bartenders of Japan...Problem was he lacked both money and a place worthy of his project, that was when he met the owner of the “ _Nekoya Western Restaurant._ ”.

Residing at ground level, that western-style restaurant and its owner had helped the young man immensely, as the Master of the place had put a good word for Ryu with the owner of the shop right above the restaurant, a place just big enough for Ryu to turn his project into reality, with the added promise that he would have paid the entire sum in small parts monthly...Then he discovered that ‘ _Mako-san’_ and his restaurant had a way wider reach than imagined when he saw a real _Lizardman_ walk through the door of Nekoya as if nothing was out of ordinary.

Then his own door decided to go world-hopping as well...and the rest was history, luckily all his new customers could pay in gold easily enough, so money too was not a problem.

As for the customers on the other side of the door, when the door appeared on their side the sun had just barely got down, for them the night was still very young and that meant it was time for them to unwind and relax, and he was there for that.

**Ten minutes later -**

That was five years ago, now instead, the extra work on Saturday night was just the norm, just like the small white horse entering accompanied by a light-orange one to sit right at the counter.

“Welcome, Miss.” he said with the proper gentle smile a real Bartender should always show to their guests.

“Good evening, Ryu darling.”

“Hello...” the new guest muttered unsure while looking around.

“You look particularly happy tonight, miss.”

“Ryu, Ryu, Ryu...You really don’t remember what day is today?” the mare said with a jokingly chastising tone.

“Of course I do remember, today is exactly two years since you started visiting my bar.” Ryu answered while preparing a tall flute glass.

“The usual?” he asked.

“As always, darling.” she answered with a reminiscing expression.

**Two Years Prior -**

Ryu had just given his goodbye to his latest guest, with the old man giving him a grunt in answer while adjusting the ax on his back when the door opened just as soon as he closed it.

“Welcome.” never missing a beat, the young Bartender welcomed the new arrival as she cautiously peaked inside, even if with how tipsy she looked, the result was fairly comical.

“W-What is this place?” the white horse asked unsure.

“This is the **Eden Cat** bar, I guess this is the first time my door appeared in your world? I hope it didn’t bother you.” Ryu asked with a small bow.

“No, no, no...It was just standing against a tree in the park, I don’t even think a room is supposed to be here...WAIT! W-W-What do you mean ‘ _Your World’_?” the strange unicorn asked.

“Once every seven days, my door connects to other worlds, creating copies of itself in randomly-selected locations. We accept payment in silver and gold, as in my world the normal currency is different from the guests’ original world.” Ryu answered.

“Uh...It is not the strangest thing I saw and took part in...” the mare answered while stumbling a little inside.

“My name is Ryu, young miss.” the Bartender presented himself with a bow.

“Nice to meet you...But for somepony coming from another world, you do have a nice Canterlotian accent.” the mare answered while sitting at the stool right in front of him.

“It’s the bar itself, from my limited understanding, its own magic makes sure everybody here can talk freely, eliminating the Language Barrier.”

“Twilight would have a blast at seeing this...” the mare muttered while waving a little in her seat.

“Is there anything that I can offer you?” Ryu asked.

“It depends...Does this bar have some potion to heal a broken mare?” she finally asked with a defeated sigh.

“Every bottle can work like that, young miss, as inside them there are ‘ _spirits’,_ that is why a good cocktail can even heal the soul.” Ryu answered, making the mare chuckle a little at the word-play.

“Nice and sophisticated...Like the world I will never be part of.” the poor thing answered with a self-deprecating sigh.

“I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

“You did nothing...Those _High Class_ foals in Canterlot did...And I fear they are right...Somepony with rural upbringing like me cannot join high society.”

“My apologies, miss, but you seem far from being ‘ _Rural’_ to me.” Ryu admitted.

“I thought so too, that is why I opened a second shop in Canterlot! It was my dream, opening a branch section of my _Carousel Boutique_ where the High Class Ponies lived! I wanted to be the one recognized as the dress-maker of the stars! But they made it abundantly clear that there is no place for me there...”

“I see...If I may, I would like to tell you a story.”

“Eh?” the mare uttered in confusion.

“May I?”

“...Go on...”

“Thank you. It was a cold night and there was a great sense of festivity in the air: with couples enjoying each other's company and office workers finally relaxing after a long day of work, all of them meeting in a small, unassuming bar.”

“Sounds lovely.” she commented with a small smile.

“It was then that a distraught man entered that bar, sad and alone, passing through the door just because entranced by the beauty of a woman, a ‘ _Star’_ in his eyes...But he was a scholar, he said, so in his mind unable to mingle with the high class society he knew his _Star_ was instead part of.”

“Oh...”

“ _I cannot drink champagne, even if it is a day of holiday, because it belongs to the rich people living in a world of appearances while I am grounded on the world of knowledge! Thus I can only drink beer, the common man’s drink. Ours are two worlds that cannot mix!_ ” he said, imitating a little that man’s voice.

“Sounds similar to me...I come from a small town, _of course_ I cannot mix with the high echelons of a big city!” the mare commented bitterly.

“Precisely, he described himself as a beer: common and unsophisticated, compared to the ‘ _Champagne’_ of the world of High society...” Ryu said while preparing a tall flute and taking out two bottles: one tall and elegant, the other shorter and more chubby.

“And then? What happened?”

“A miracle...He saw those two worlds mix inside his glass, and he discovered that sometimes the ‘ _Barriers’_ we see in front of us are there just because we let them stand in our way.” Ryu answered as he angled both bottles down to fill that single glass.

“WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU-”

Before the mare could stop him, she saw the two liquids fall inside the glass in a simply mesmerizing twirling of foam that for a second hypnotized her, the young man’s smile never faltering as the flute kept filling until the thin line of foam stopped just at the rim of the glass, with the very last drop from both bottles merely disappearing inside without making the mixture spill down.

“This was the result of the two worlds mixing together. A _**Black Velvet,**_ please, enjoy.” Ryu said while moving the glass closer to the mare.

 _(Small note, Ryu did a ‘_ Two-Handed pouring’ _, meaning a bottle in each hand at the same time, and in his world, beside him,_ _only 4_ _Bartenders_ _ **in all of Japan**_ _can do that!_

_That’s some skills!)_

__

( _Black Velvet_ )

“Y-Y-You mixed Beer with Champagne! It’s a waste! Are you out of your mind?!” the guest gasped in shock.

“This particular _**Black Velvet**_ is made by mixing a Guinnes dark beer and a Moȅt Chandon, a ‘ _Brut Imperial’_. Please do try it, should it not be suitable to your tastes, your tab for tonight will be on me.” Ryu answered, not in pride, but in utter gentleness.

“You promise?” Rarity asked with narrowed eyes.

“A Bartender cannot lie, it would break the trust between them and the guests, making the entire idea of a bar a moot point.” he answered.

“I will entertain you, just because you look like you know your stuff...” she answered, making her horn light-up to raise the glass without touching it.

“Quite the nice trick.”

“Don’t butter me up now, darling, it’s time for the Taste test.” the mare said while taking a sip…

And going wide-eyed.

“I-I-It’s good?!” she said in surprise while downing the cocktail.

“It has both the refined sourness of Champagne and the rough bitterness of beer...But they are not fighting with each other, but EMPOWERING each other...How?!”

“Because they pull on each other's strength, as you said, they coexist instead of fighting. Both have good points and bad points, if one knows how to mix the good and the bad, they can obtain true miracles.”

“A-Another, please!”

“Of course, Miss.” Ryu answered with a tiny nod.

**Back to the present -**

“Huhuhu! It was the vision of that cocktail, the color of black velvet, swirling in my glass that gave me the needed inspiration to create a new line of dresses, mixing ‘ _Rural Simplicity’_ and ‘ _High-Class Elegance’_ , a collection that finally made even the more obtuse stuck-up foal admit my talent and give me a chance, and now I am just as sought after as the greatest houses of _Haute Couture_ are. All thanks to you.” the mare said with a beaming smile.

“I did nothing, young miss, I just gave you the cocktail you wanted, you did all the work.” Ryu answered bowing.

“Don’t be coy with me, darling! You showed me that my world and theirs could mix, if I did not lose hope, that is thanks to you!” she answered smirking, elegantly drinking from her flute of _**Black Velvet**_ with a satisfied expression.

“Thank you, young miss. Your friend instead? Can I offer her something?”

“Dear Sunset has just returned to be part of our community after some ‘ _eventful moments’_ in her recent past, and she is still having problems adjusting.”

“More likely, I am deathly afraid of ruining everything, again.” the second mare answered.

“Oh.”

“So I decided to introduce her to my absolute favourite Bartender. Can you heal her spirit too, _God’s Glass?_ ” the pale horse asked with a devious smirk, using the young man’s moniker with a challenging tone.

“A Bartender lives to serve. Please, allow me.” he answered while taking out the _shaker_ and several bottles.

“The glass of God?”

“You’ll see, he can fill glasses with real miracles!” the mare answered proudly.

_Shik! Shik! Shik!_

Acting as if he had not heard her, Ryu simply focused on preparing the new cocktail, filling the empty bar with the subtle noise of the ice dancing inside the container in his hands.

* * *

**Episode 2: A Father’s Lament.**

It was again Saturday night, the bar had just started filling with guests from ‘ _ **The other side’**_ that were calmly drinking their chosen cocktails while talking in hushed tones, having somehow unanimously decided that rising one’s voice while in there was a big Taboo, all without Ryu ever saying a thing about it himself.

“Another one, please!” an old lady asked with a gentle smile while raising her glass a little.

“Of course, Madame.” Ryu answered promptly.

“Another? Do you ever tire of drinking that, _Long Island?”_ an old man asked amused as soon as he joined her at the table, he was an old man dressed in pure-white robes, and once propped the long white staff in his hands against the wall, he sat in front of her.

( _Long Island – the terror of college parties: gin, vodka, tequila, rum and triple sec. Drink if you dare.)_

“My dear _Gin-tonic,_ I will stop drinking it when Godric Gryffindor himself will come reclaiming my life, not a minute sooner! Hohoho!” the old woman answered with a jovial laugh.

It was also a bit silly for Ryu to see how his usual guests had taken to address each other by the name of the drinks they preferred, and that each one of them was always ready to boast about their choice being _**THE BEST**_ cocktail Ryu and his bar had to offer.

Sometimes he wondered if that was just their way to unwind, and leave every ‘ _weight’_ of their lives behind the door of the bar, as a way to simply take a pause from everything and relax.

“I am still going to say that I prefer my Gin Tonic, I prefer a simpler taste for my drinks...And it goes very well with pipe-weed.” the old man answered, a bit sheepish.

“Just remember that you cannot smoke in here.”

“I do, my dear, I do.”

“Bah! My _Sazerac_ is way better than that watered-down bog of yours, old man.” Another guest, this one a very young woman with iron armour and her horned helmet resting on the table, answered scoffing.

( _Sazerac – a cocktail of Whiskey and Absinthe. Only for strong/daring drinkers_ )

“Always showing such a fiery temper, _Miss Sazerac_. You remember me dear Gimli the first time we met.” the old man answered, sighing.

“Are you calling me a brute?!” she asked with a roar.

“Perhaps.” the old witch answered with a stern glare.

“How dare you?! I slay dragons for sport! Say that to my face if you have the guts!” the young woman growled furious.

“I can tell you slay dragons as you share a very similar attitude, young lady! Back to my school you would have spent MONTHS scrapping cauldrons as a punishment for such a temper. There is Bravery, THEN there is foolishness.” she answered.

“That’s it! I won’t stand for this! _**FUS-ROH...**_ ”

“Gentleman and Mesdames, do I need to remind you that fighting here is prohibited?” another Guest, a woman with pointed ears dressed in an austere pink dress said coldly, making the three stop abruptly.

“You know that if you fight here you will be forever banned from the bar, right?” the young man in green tunic with her added with a sigh while resting his head on a hand, bored like everybody else in there at the usual debate about the bar’s best cocktail newcomers were prone to.

“...Right, My apologies.” the young woman admitted with a defeated sigh while returning to sit at her table to empty what looked like being her sixth glass of the strong cocktail.

“Sometimes thesekinds of discussions get out of hand, do forgive us.” the old man said with a sigh himself.

“It’s all okay, a small moment of blind anger happens to everybody.” Ryu answered with a gentle smile.

 _Sigh!_ “I better go, though, they are still waiting for me in Whiterun. Here is my payment, and a little extra...For the noise.” the young woman muttered while donning her helm and hastily leaving a small stack of gold coins on the counter before leaving.

“Please come again, Madame.” Ryu answered with a small bow as the door was hastily opened and closed.

_Slam!_

“...That _Sazerac_ , she should learn to not always go head-first into things.” the same young woman with long ears muttered while shaking her head.

“Another one, your Highness?” Ryu asked as soon as her empty glass was pushed towards him.

“Yes...My beloved **Black Russian,** I tried having it done back home by the best brewers and Inn owners I could put my hands on, but theirs hold no comparison to yours, not even the Zora or the Goron, master brewers, could replicate it.” the woman answered.

“I am happy to hear you enjoy our cocktails, madame.” Ryu answered with a small nod.

( _Black Russian: a classic made with Vodka and Coffee Liqueur._ )

“Another one for me too, a bit more coffee stuff in it, though, if possible.” her companion asked.

“Of course.”

It was then that the door went rudely opened by a richly-dressed man with pointed blond beard and well-kept blond hair, he had a sword in his right hand and an elegant stick in his left hand.

“Welcome.” Ryu welcomed the new-comer with a low and calm voice, unperturbed.

“What is this place?! Why is this door in my wife’s personal office? I demand an explanation!” the man said with a booming voice.

“Oh my! A new visitor.” the old woman said in amusement.

“They are always so surprised the first time they enter.” the old man with her added, chuckling.

“Indeed.”

“This is the **Eden Cat** Bar, Monsieur.” Ryu answered, with the Bar’s inner magic already at work to help everybody talk freely without a _Language_ _Barrier_.

“You speak with the accent of Tristain, but I never saw this place before.” the man said with narrowed eyes.

“Lower your weapon, this is not a place to fight.” a deep, gruff voice rumbled like a far-away thunder as the door opened again from behind him.

“Oh! Dear **Zombie** is back! Here again to drown your sorrow, old friend?” _Gin Tonic_ asked, curious.

“Hn!” the bald bearded man grunted in answer.

( _ **Zombie**_ _: Rum, Rum, with the addition of some Rum and a dash of Rum...Did we mention there is Rum in it? It contains several types of light and dark rum mixed together (and sometimes Cointreau), with extra flavors like pineapple.)_

“Who are you to...IS THAT A SEVERED HEAD?!” the strange man shrieked in surprise.

“ _I wouldn’t challenge him, Mate! It was not a good day, so my friend here is in a dark place at the moment._ ” the severed head dangling from the man’s hip answered sighing.

“Be quiet, head. I am not in the mood for that today.” the bearded man answered, pushing past the new Guest to sit heavily at the stool right in front of Ryu.

“Here, Sir, all for you.” the Bartender said with a gentle voice while positioning the large glass of the man’s favourite cocktail in front of him.

“...Uhm...Always the same...Good.” the man offered as an appreciation after the first sip, before falling into silent self-contemplation.

“ _Maybe we should take the boy here someday, as a bonding experience._ ” the head muttered.

“Be quiet.” was the only answer, mid-way between words and growling.

“What is this place?” the new guest asked again with a lower voice, eyeing the ax and chained blades on the giant guy’s back warily, as he could tell those weapons were both magical and VERY lethal.

“This is the **Eden Cat** Bar. Every seven days the door distorts Time and Space and connects this bar to several other worlds, never more than two or three doors per world.”

“And your door appeared in Halkegina?” the man asked.

“Halkegina? I already heard that name, I hope its appearance did not bother you.”

 _Sigh!_ “No, it didn’t...To be honest, it actually appeared at the right time, I could use something to drink...Again.” the man answered with a self-deprecating sigh as he sat at the counter.

“Ugh...” he then hissed, patting his stomach a little, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Ryu.

“If I may, I would like to suggest you a drink myself, Monsieur.” he offered.

“I already know what to take.” the man hissed back.

“Let him, the Gods can only make damages, but once in a while they can do something useful...and his _Gift_ is one of those rare instances.” the guest nick-named ‘ _ **Zombie’**_ said.

“Hohoho! You saw something, didn’t you, _God’s Glass?_ Always oscillating between _Slytherin_ and _Ravenclaw_ , Severus would have loved to have you in his classes.” **Long Island** said with a knowing smile.

“Perhaps.” Ryu answered, surprising the man by breaking some hard-looking ice into a glass and using a metallic measuring cap to add liqueur immediately after.

“God’s Glass...” the new Guest muttered, curious.

“Here it is. **Whiskey: Water Cut.** ” the young man said once presented the glass.

**(** _Water Cut: Whiskey mixed with the right amount of water to mellow the alcohol content, but not the taste. Known in Japan as the **Mizuwari.** )_

“You just mixed alcohol with water...” the man hissed angrily.

“Please, Monsieur, do try it.” Ryu asked.

“Tch! I already regret coming here...EH?!”

“T-T-There is a faint smell of cask and...and the firm sweetness of grain, while the edge of the alcohol has been removed, leaving it to gently soak the tongue...But it doesn’t taste like water at all! How?!” the man asked in utter surprise as soon as he tasted it.

“The _Water Cut_ dilutes the alcohol content but leaves the taste unchanged, so it is easier for a troubled stomach to handle it.” Ryu explained.

“Why did yougive me this?”

“You haven’t been sleeping well, isn’t it, Monsieur?”

“H-How do you know?!”

“Your clothes speak of a man of high hierarchy...A count, maybe?”

“A Duke.” the man corrected him.

“Yet your sleeves are rumpled, just like the collar of your dress is slightly dirty, for a Duke it either means the servants did a poor job...Or that he has been sleeping very little, if not at all...Or even sleeping somewhere uncomfortable without even changing himself.”

“O-Oh...” the man muttered, surprised.

“You have faint bags under your eyes too, and have been touching your stomach from time to time, so I thought it was stress and/or anger that was keeping you awake. And since you said you needed a place to drink _**again**_ it means that lately you have been drinking more than usual, aggravating your stomach further.”

“You saw all that?”

“A proper bartender has to have good eyes too. I felt a ‘ _normal’_ Water Cut with 1 part Whiskey and 2/2.5 parts water would have been too strong for a tongue and a stomach that had gone through that much. So I used very solid ice to counter a lower alcohol content than usual for your drink.”

“It does taste good, all things considered.” the man admitted begrudgingly.

“Whiskey, eh? Whatever it is, it has a nice flavor, I would like to taste it properly once I fixed my stomach.”

“Of course, Monsieur.”

 _Sigh!_ “...If it will ever get fixed...” the man then said, sighing in defeat.

“Monsieur?”

“It is all my wife’s fault! Her fault for pretending our daughters to over-achieve! Her fault for pushing one daughter into meeting older men for marriage and another to force herself to fight off an illness that cannot be healed instead of resting and taking things easier!” he cried out, emptying the glass in one gulp.

“Another, please.” he asked.

“Of course, Monsieur.”

“...You know? I have three daughters, and only one got married...Do you know why?”

“She found the right man?” Ryu, understanding that he HAD TO answer, tried saying.

“Right on one! And you know why he was the right one? Because she damn well chose him! She didn’t let her mother decide for her and stuck to him like glue! Sure he was a nobody (Her Familiar, even!) but I saw how they looked at each other, that was love!...I miss seeing that in my wife’s eyes, even though now I am starting to wonder if she ever had that spark in there to begin with.”

“...”

“You were correct in one assumption, I have been sleeping very little lately, and in my trophy room at that, with last night being me just losing consciousness on my favourite chair in front of the fireplace because I drank too much, so without even changing myself to sleep...I was just basking in the memories of my youth, when I was younger and free...Not like now.”

“I am sorry, monsieur.”

“Don’t be, I challenged you in your field, liqueur, and you rightfully showed you know what you are doing. Always be proud of your achievements and talent! Who says humility should be the first thing...Well...They understand nothing. We are humans! We do not train for years in something just to then be all coy and humble, if we get far, the world has to acknowledge that!”

“I’ll take note of that, Monsieur.” Ryu answered with a small, amused chuckle.

“Who were you hiding from? To sleep in a trophy room?” the Princess guest, **Black Russian** , asked.

“You all are so bloody observant and nosy here...I was hiding from my wife,”

“Why?” her partner asked.

“Not your business, boy!”

“Please, dear guests, be nice.” Ryu pleaded.

“My apologies. I have avoided her since the marriage of my youngest daughter...A daughter I cannot see anymore because she moved to her husband’s home world! Wait...Another world...YOU!” the man said, jumping to his feet so fast that his stool fell to the floor.

“Y-Yes?” Ryu stammered, unsure.

“If I tell you how she looks like and her name, can you find her for me? Tell her to come here if and when the door appears?”

“I-I don’t know if I can do that, Monsieur, I can at best put out a word to my various guests if you want.”

“There is no need.” a new voice said as a woman in elegant dress entered the Bar.

“Oh! Madame Karin, welcome.” Ryu said immediately as soon as she passed through the door.

“K-K-Karin!?”

“So you found my little treasure, you never were able to keep your little nose out of other people's belongings, dear.” the woman answered as she elegantly sat next to him.

“The usual, Madame?”

“Yes, **Dry Martini.** Extra Dry, remember.” she answered.

“Of course.”

( _Dry Martini: Vodka or Gin, a LOT of it, mixed with Vermount. The less Vermount used the_ _Drier_ _the cocktail gets, which also_ _means_ _that the resulting drink will also get stronger.)_

“So you met my husband, finally. What did you give him?”

“A Water Cut, Madame, for his troubled stomach.”

“ _Basically Alcohol and water mixed together._ ” the severed head with **Zombie** added.

“A watered-down drink? How fitting, my beloved Bartender! Just the right choice for a _watered-down_ _MAN_ like him.” Karin said harshly.

“Watered down...HOW DARE YOU!”

“Why? You still believe yourself to be a man? After all your running away and hiding?”

“...”

“Do you know why I said there was no need for you to ask dear Ryu to look for Louise?” the woman asked.

“You hate her and just want her gone?” he asked bitterly.

In answer he got hauled to his feet by her hand on his collar so to better stare into the _**FURIOUS**_ eyes of his wife.

“Never again utter such nonsense in my presence!” she warned him with blazing fury.

Ryu too started sweating, but because he saw the other patrons discreetly palming their respective weapons (Or lighting-up the body parts necessary for them to unleash their powers/magic) in preparation to forcefully evict the two before they could damage the bar, or worse, put Ryu in danger.

It wouldn’t be the first time he saw _THAT_ happen to troublemakers.

“...I already asked him to look for a way to contact Louise myself, the first time I came here one year ago.” she said with a calmer tone while letting her husband fall back sitting on his stool.

“I am waiting for confirmation, in this world it is a bit easier because there are methods to keep in touch/find people, but it is a bit harder in places without ‘ _Social Media’_ , so it takes time, even knowing the girl’s name.” Ryu answered.

“Please do keep me informed, we will organize together a meeting with them here, if you don’t mind.” Karin answered, nodding.

“Can I also suggest a visit to _Nekoya_ under us? The owner too is used to dealing with customers coming from another world, and he is a Master Chef.”

“Dinner together like a family...How long ago it was the last time we did it?...I would love to.” Karin answered with a sigh.

“I will inform Mako-san then.” the Bartender said with a nod.

“Please do.”

“...So you don’t hate her?” her husband asked with a low whisper.

“Do you?” she threw back.

“She is my little princess, just like her older sisters are, a father can’t hate his children.” he answered while looking at his glass.

“If a father can’t hate his children, then why would a mother? Everything I did, I did it because I just wanted their happiness. I chose various suitors from rich families not to increase MY influence, but to cover for Louise’s lack in Magic. Admittedly, in my ignorance, I wanted to find a husband rich enough to let her live a life of leisure...There wouldn’t have been need of using Magic if she had enough servants at her beck and call to cover for it.” Karin admitted.

“And your ‘ _Rule of Steel’_?” he asked, sneering.

“Tough love, that much I admit, but I just wanted them to be strong-willed women, able to hold their grounds against EVERYTHING Life may throw at them. I may not show it, but I too would love nothing more than just show them that tiny bit more ‘ _warmth’_ they long for. Cattleya needs to be strong because if she admits ‘ _defeats’_ I know her illness will get worse, because she will let it take over.”

“And Eleanor?”

“Not my fault actually, she does find older men more attractive.”

“So you denied them the warmth of a mother so that they will grow strong-willed?”

“In a sense, but it does have its down-sides, one can say that just like they never fully experienced that ‘ _warmth’_ , neither I did as they grew-up.”

“Then why don’t you start now? They no longer are kids! They’ll understand if you explain!”

“...”

“Are you afraid, my dear?”

“ **Long Island** , please do not interfere.” Karin answered hotly.

“Our children are stronger than what we believe, just because they remain kids in our eyes, it doesn’t mean they don’t develop fast.” **Zombie** added with a low voice.

“Your son Atreus is indeed a wonderful child, listening to your anecdotes about him, you should be proud of him.”

“I am.”

“Does he know?” Karin asked with crossed arms.

“Do your daughters know you are proud of them?” he shot back with an unfazed tone, freezing her.

“So it is true? Is my beloved wife afraid?”

“No.” Karin answered immediately.

“...You can’t lie to me, beloved.” her husband answered while grabbing her hand in a gentle hold.

“You haven't called me beloved in years...Let go.”

“No.” he answered smiling, pulling her a little closer.

“There are people watching!” she growled.

“Let them watch.” he said, making her turn horrified as he lifted her in his arms in a bridal carry.

“Put me down this instant!” she yelled, utterly ashamed to see the other patrons look at them with knowing smiles.

“Uh-hu!” he hummed amusedly while kissing the tip of her nose.

“We are no longer kids! Act your age!” she hissed with a burning-red face.

“There is the Karin I fell in love with! I knew little Louise had taken her attitude from somewhere!” he said, laughing.

“How much have you drunk?!” she asked, turning redder at each new kiss and kicking a little with her feet to break free of his bridal carry, only making the amused chuckles of the other customers grow a bit louder as a result of the cutesy scene.

“Just two glasses. I just decided that since you are being childish in pretending to be a stern aristocrat, it was time I helped you let go and admit that deep down, you are a big _softie_.”

“I have to uphold our family name! We are not two dirty commoners!”

“You didn’t say that the night we conceived our first daughter!”

“ _Kyah_!” Karin bellowed in shame, covering her face with both hands...And then she noticed what she had just done, and with utter fear she dared to peek through her fingers to see the knowing smile on her husband's face…

And just as her stone mask crumbled, she too did, in a dead faint.

“Hahahaha! Oh, so dramatic, my dear! Truly, holding back your feelings was bad for you if just by letting go you faint like this!” he said, laughing loudly.

“I will take her home, Monsieur Ryu. Please let us know if you manage to find and contact our daughter.”

“I will.” Ryu answered, smiling gently as always.

“...Ehm...The money pouch is on my hip...C-Could you, you know? I have my hands...Kinda _full_.” the man then said with a sheepish expression.

“AH! O-Of course! Pardon me.” Ryu answered uneasily while fumbling with the man’s behind.

“Thank you. That Liqueur, _Whiskey,_ what is that exactly?”

“It’s name comes from the Gaelic Language: _Uisge_ , and it means ‘ _Water of Life’_ , and at its birth it was mostly used as a medicine. It was created by monks to cover for the lack of wine, a drink hard to obtain in their lands,” Ryu answered.

“Water of life... _Aqua Vitae_...It’s an apt name. Next time I come, I will drink it properly, in one of your fancy _cocktails_ , so I will pay it proper respect.” the man declared.

“Of course, Monsieur.”

“Farewell, we’ll see you again in seven days.”

“I will wait for you.” Ryu answered simply, watching the door close behind the two.

_Creeeak!_

Just as the door closed, it opened again to let another guest enter.

“Welcome.” and as always, Ryu was ready to welcome the new-comer.

That was the **Eden Cat** bar, guests coming and going, every one of them with their stories, sometimes funny and sometimes sad, but all of them were welcomed in there, with its Bartender ready to serve, to listen, and never to judge.

For he was the Glass of God.

* * *

**\- After hours, or “What the others liked to drink” -**

**Table 1**

“Ah don’t know! This may be a bit too much _froufrou_ for mah tastes!”

“Just trust me on this one.”

“Can I?” Ryu asked, gently, holding a small tray in his hand.

“Please do, Darling.”

“For our esteemed Fashion Artist, your usual: **Black Velvet**.”

“Perfect.”

“For a lover of apples: **Apple Breeze.”** the young Bartender said moving on the table a highball glass.

( **Apple Breeze:** _Half a cup of Apple Cider mixed with a shot of Malibu Rum, or two, depending on tastes)_.

“For a strong-willed mare dealing with weather: _**Bright and Rainy**_ _.”_

“Eh! Cheeky foal, you wanna make me drink rain?” she asked with a smirk.

( _ **Bright and Rainy:**_ _Gin, Peach Schnapps and ginger beer/ginger ale_ )

“For a funny, hyperactive Party Star: _**Hurricane**_. Please be careful, while very sweet, it still contains alcohol.”

“Oh so very apt! The name alone fits you perfectly!” **Black Velvet** said with a coy smile, getting a raspberry from her friend.

( _ **Hurricane**_ : _Dark Rum, Passion Fruit Syrup and fresh lemon juice_.)

“I-I-I don’t do well with alcohol...” one of them said with a low voice.

“I warned him beforehoof, Shy.”

“Correct, so here it is, your non-alcoholic Cocktail: _**Cinderella**_.” Ryu answered, giving her a simple glass with a bright reddish cocktail in it.

“Oh! Thank you...”

“My pleasure, young miss.”

( _ **Cinderella:**_ _Orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice, Grenadine Syrup, Soda or sparkling water._ )

“What about me?” the last one asked, even too curious.

“If you put down that notepad for a second, he is going to show you.”

“Sorry.” she answered, sheepish.

“No harm done. Here it is: **The Bookworm**.”

“Ow, come on!”

“Sorry, When I told him that was one of your nick-names, he suggested it.”

“There is nothing wrong in being an acculturated scholar. Intelligence is not something to be ashamed of.” Ryu added.

“...Thank you...” she answered, looking pleased by the explanation.

**Table 2 -**

“Another round, Ryu!” _**Long Island**_ asked while raising her glass.

“Of course, madame.” the Bartender answered immediately.

“Are you not overdoing?” the very short man next to her squeaked unsure.

“You said you were offering, Filius, you cannot get back on your word now!”

“Pomona is right! And you didn’t look like you mind either.” the old woman added.

“Libel!” the very short man answered as two green glasses were positioned in front of the two guests of _**Long Island.**_

“Here it is, two glasses of _Garden of Green_ and another _Long Island_.” Ryu said with a gentle smile.

( _ **Garden of Green:**_ _Vodka, apple mint leaves, lemon juice and snap pea reduction, a splash of Soda Water.)_

“To think Muggles came up with so many different mixtures of alcohol...”

“ _Butterbeer_ and _Fire-whiskey_ do tend to become boring after a while.”

“That reminds me, I need to bring dear Ryu a bottle of _Ogden’s Finest_ , I believe he will be able to create some amazing things with it.” _**Long Island**_ muttered.

“That I want to taste!” the very short man admitted, laughing.

_Slam!_

It was then that the door was pushed open by a furious Karin (AKA _**Dry Martini**_ ), making every guest immediately get ready for battle to defend THEIR bar, making Ryu sweat-drop at the over-protectiveness of his regulars.

“RYU! I have a bunch of old fossils filling my living room in a misplaced sense of superiority! I wanted to play host for the Queen herself, but her guests are driving me up the wall with their ‘ _Holier_ _than Thou’_ attitude! I need ten glasses of a cocktail so outlandish, good and classy that they will weep in inferiority towards my family for ages to come!” the woman asked with blazing eyes.

“So...I have to destroy people’s self-esteem?” Ryu asked, just to be sure.

“YES! Drive it to the ground and even lower!”

“It kind of goes against what a Bartender is supposed to be...”

“Please?” she begged.

“...” looking around, the Bartender saw that every guest was now looking away and humming loudly, clearly giving-up their role as ‘ _witnesses’_ of the dirty affair.

“...I’ll see what I can do...” the young man muttered, dejected.

“Thank you!” the woman said with an excited tone, fervently watching him start mixing expertly, albeit with a miserable expression on his face.

For months afterwards, Karin will keep leaving behind very generous _tips_ and telling him tales of defeated nobles crying in shame at her ‘ _superiority_ ’ or something similar, all for his despair.

_**A Little Game: Are you able to tell who are the guests that appeared in this Chapter? Tell me in the reviews!** _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More doors open, more new guests arrive.
> 
> Technically this story is listed as "Completed" but this because by being a "Slice of Life" it has the potential to be infinite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically this story is listed as "Completed" but this because by being a "Slice of Life" it has the potential to be infinite.  
> I will update it whenever inspiration for a new "Episode" strikes me.
> 
> A small fusion of the manga “Bartender” and “Western Restaurant to Another World”, only with a way WIDER pool of Customers.
> 
> I wanted to try a “Slice of Life” Story for once, and in order to do so, the chapters had to be shorter still, more than usual, and to make up for it, I decided to have 2 episodes per chapter (2000 to 3000 words each) so to still give each chapter a proper length.
> 
> I am no Master Brewer/Bartender, I am taking both descriptions/reaction from the original “Bartender” Manga and/or looking on the internet for recipes/history behind the various liqueurs/cocktails that will appear here.
> 
> Should you see characters from other franchises, keep in mind this: I am trying to go a bit deeper into their humanity, beyond their ‘idolized’ character, technically they ARE living beings, they too have down times, sorrow and sadness, think outside your “shonen” for once.
> 
> I wish you the best of days.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing of all this, all rights reserved to the original owners. Please support the official releases.

_**A Little Game: Are you able to tell who are the guests that appeared in this Chapter? Tell me in the reviews!** _

**Isekai Eden Cat Chapter 2.**

**Episode 1: The color of Life.**

**Woods -**

The moon had just come up in the sky, sending its silver light to cover everything and turning the silent mountains it shined upon in a land of glittering snow worthy of a fairy tale: undeniable proof that normally nobody passed by there, leaving Nature unspoiled…

But there was an intruder in that scene, somebody that decided to pass by there to avoid passing too close to any nearby Village hidden in the mountains.

How long ago it was since he started wandering aimlessly? The young man asked himself that numerous times to no avail; he had cut himself off from his old life after several missteps that normally would have signed the end for everybody else...And yet there he was, able to just briefly go back home to see few familiar faces from afar, never daring to actually enter the place...Not that he felt he deserved anything else, he himself felt that he had been given even too much leniency for his past sins.

But this was the Life of a wanderer, wallowing in bad memories and longingly looking at the good ones he too late understood how precious they actually were; it was self-contemplation at its finest: No words...Just memories.

“Uh?” it was then that he saw it: a strange door with a simple and unassuming oval bronze plaque with **‘** _ **Eden Cat.’**_ written on it in an elegant font and decorated by a silhouette of a black cat lazily lying on top of the letters.

The door looked unremarkable, just well-polished and smooth reddish wood, and standing perfectly straight in the middle of nowhere by itself, without a visible room behind it; even the thick layer of snow covering those woods like a blanket had mysteriously left a clean area of a meter around that door, as if fearing to stain it.

“A door?” the young man muttered, mentally considering it a possible trap, and yet, even scanning everywhere around himself with all his skills and power...nothing looked out of ordinary.

“It is not an illusion...” he muttered, sheathing back his sword and cautiously grabbing the doorknob to give it a twist, and the door obediently opened for him with no resistance, only the gentle chime of a tiny bell signaling his arrival.

“Welcome.” the young man behind the counter of the bar said with a gentle smile, warm just like the smile of a certain old _friend_ of the wanderer.

**At the same time – Living Room -**

The young man was walking through the dusty kitchen of the almost-abandoned house, memories both bitter and sweet playing randomly in his head; the hardest of them about the solitary man that had been forced to live in that same home in seclusion, only for him to die the moment he stepped out to help the young man.

Every semblance of family the young man had had now died...From his parents to his ‘ _unofficial uncles’_ , leaving him truly alone, and even if he knew he had to look forward and take care of his own godson, the sheer amount of _pieces_ his life had been broken into was finally becoming too much for him to handle.

And even if his friends were there for him, and he knew that, a small, traitorous part of him was insistently pushing forward every bad memory he had, and the more he fought those memories, the more those pushed back, ‘ _screaming’_ inside his head for attention and forcefully filling his sight in visions of the past.

_Thunk._

It was then that he heard it, a suffuse, soft bumping sound that almost made him jump out of his skin! But what was it? The place he was in was once again impossible to find, closed tightly and deserted as he had made it clear that _**nobody**_ had to be around, he had pleaded and begged until everybody accepted to leave him alone, and even if unwillingly, his friend had promised to not bother him...But then, who or what was it?

“Had the wards been breached?” the young man asked slowly to himself as he carefully left the kitchen to enter the living room where he was sure the noise came from while brandishing a small wand.

“What is that door?” he muttered as the small oval plaque looked way too well polished to not stand out like a sore thumb in the dilapidated and dirty house.

Curiously he felt no ill-intent coming from the door, and even once checked, nothing seemed to be alien about it, even if it literally added itself to an empty section of the wall without him asking for it.

 _Dling!_ The small bell on top of the door chimed as soon as he opened it, making him once again curse his lack of self-preservation making him dive head-first into mysteries without thinking.

“Welcome.” The young man behind the counter offered him a gentle smile, and the young wizard was sure that was actually genuine care, contrary to other business-owners that normally simply faked a similar one masterfully.

But even then...Who in Merlin’s name was he?!

**Eden Cat Bar -**

Both young men stood on the entryway of the strange bar, having entered one after another with barely a split-second difference from each other, with the Wanderer turning around to see who else entered right behind him, and going wide-eyed at seeing a dusty living room at the other side instead of the snowy forest he was in before.

“How?” he asked, confused and with one of his eyes turning blood red as he scanned the entire place.

“Ah! You must be new Guests then!” the owner of the bar, Ryu Sasakura (also known as **“** _ **God’s Glass”)**_ , said with a gentle voice.

“Guests?” the other boy echoed, unsure.

“What is this place?” the Wanderer asked with narrowed eyes.

“Once every seven days, my door connects to other worlds, creating copies of itself in randomly-selected locations. We accept payment in silver and gold, as in my world the normal currency is different from the guests’ original world.” Ryu answered.

“Your door connects to other...Other worlds? How can it do that? The Ministry would know of such a powerful artifact...And either try to control it or destroy it.” the youngest of the two admitted.

“Unfortunately the details are still a mystery to me, I never was an expert in Magic.” Ryu admitted with a shy expression.

“Does it mean you are a Muggle?”

“I am familiar with that term, do you perhaps know Madame McGonagall?” the Bartender asked.

“You know her?!”

“She is a regular.”

“Oh...”

“You speak with the dialect of Suna and Konoha, but I was certain I was passing close to Iwa when I met your door, why are you so far away from your Village?” the Wanderer asked.

“Suna? You know _**Pina Colada?**_ ” one of the guests asked, her eyes shining in curiosity.

( _ **Pina Colada:**_ _Bacardi white Rum, plenty of Ice, crushed Coconut and crushed Pineapple (For extra flair, a teaspoon of sugar too even if it’s not fundamental to the recipe). Come on, guys! It’s a Classic!)_

“Pina who?”

“Red hair...Big gourd on his back...”

“Yes, I know him. But it doesn’t answer my question.” the Wanderer answered dryly.

“Actually that would be the bar itself, here we all speak a single Language, or better, we all hear each other speak in the Language we are more familiar with.” a slender woman with very long blonde hair answered, she was wearing a complex-looking orange armour with a cannon covering one of her arms, she had just removed her helmet to enjoy her drink.

“What _**Vodka Martini**_ said, this is a special Bar. You come here, and leave behind that heavy-looking door all your daily life, you basically take a short pause from the yourself you have to show around...Like that you can face the ‘ _ **Real You**_ ’ you willingly or not keep hidden; that is why we love this place and call each other with the name of our favourite cocktail: for an instant we just want to forget who we are and what we do, just to take a breather.” another guest added, he was an old man in strange robes, he had pulled down the hood to enjoy his liqueur.

“Well said, _**Wai Wai**_.” the woman answered, rising her glass to the man.

“ _Grazie_ , but what can I say, I can’t find a similar place in Firenze or the rest of Italy no matter where I look, and after a long week as a Master of my Order of Assassins, and continuous dives into hay-stacks, I too need a moment of relaxation!”

__

_(_ _**Vodka Martini:** _ _Also known as_ _**Kangaroo Cocktail** _ _, made with Vodka and Dry Vermouth shaken or mixed with ice. Nice and simple.)_

__

_(_ _**Wai Wai:** _ _Sherry and Banana meet a Mai Tai creating a complex tropical flavour. Made with Oloroso Sherry, Demerara Rum, banana liqueur, Lime Juice, orgeat and Angostura bitters.)_

“Should we really forget who we are though? wouldn’t that make us into cowards?” the Wanderer asked while he and the other boy sat on the two free stools in front of Ryu.

“Would it? Or perhaps it would help us see our doubts and griefs in a different light? From the outside even?” the woman with long ears sitting next to him answered.

“What the princess said...” the man in green tunic sitting at her other side added while downing his drink.

“Seeing problems from outside? How?”

“If I may...” Ryu answered, taking a tall glass and setting it in front of them while also taking-out three bottles.

And at that the entire bar fell into even deeper silence, every regular watching intently as the _**God’s Glass**_ was about to perform another of his miracles, an action they all secretly saw as the highlight of every new Guest entering.

“What is Life?” Ryu asked, a smile always present and genuine on his face.

“What is Life?” the young wizard echoed, unsure.

“Isn’t it the ensemble of our memories? Of our experiences?” the Bartender answered while uncorking a bottle of vermouth as red as blood.

“Eh?” the other commented, confused.

“Bad memories, moments of sadness, moments of fear, moments of sorrow. All of this there in the back of our head, and yet vivid and dense as if they all just happened recently, no matter how long ago it was and no matter how deeply we bury them. They may taste bitter...But even so, they too play a fundamental part in our Life.” Ryu said as he slowly filled a third of the glass with the red liqueur.

“Then there are our dreams, our hopes and our desires, there to give us support and to give us a reason to stand and fight...One should never forget what helps us push through moments of sadness.” Ryu explained while carefully adding a green liquor, labeled _chartreuse_ , to the glass in a way that made sure the two did not mix, but standing perfectly separated one from the other.

“And then...Our good memories...They always look like they are the faintest, the thinnest ones, and yet without them life would not have the same great flavour, nor the same value.” The Bartender finished telling as he added the third ingredient, white gin, to the mixture and this too never truly mixed with the other two, but it stood separated neatly from the others.

“This is a ‘ _Layered’_ cocktail called ‘ _Bijou’_ , in French, _**Gem**_. Quite apt as a name for a drink dedicated to Life, don’t you think, dear Guest?” Ryu asked.

“You mean that Life is a gem?”

“You think it isn’t? I believe that even bad memories are important: they teach us to not make the same mistakes, after all, ‘ _Defeat’_ is a man’s greatest teacher.” Ryu answered.

“Why are you saying this?”

“Because while we can take life like this: with each layer neatly separated, we can also see things in a different light.” Ryu answered while taking another glass already filled in ice and mixing the three colours together inside it.

“The Drink-”

“This cocktail has another name too, in this form it’s called ‘ _ **Amber Dream’**_.” the Bartender said while masterfully mixing the now amber-coloured cocktail.

“Here it is, another way to live life: taking the good and the bad together as they are, accepting them all instead of keeping them separated.” Ryu said while slowly moving the glass in front of the young man.

“It doesn’t look like a jewel now...”

“To be fair it is not as pretty as it was before since amber is just turpentine fossilization that doesn’t shine brightly like a diamond or a ruby, but at the same time amber is the result of years and years of hard work piling together to become a completely different kind of ‘ _Beauty’._ ”

“Oh! Said like that...It does look pretty still. In a more humble way.”

“So? What do you see?” the Wanderer asked, having apparently understood what the bar’s owner was doing.

“A cocktail?” the other Guest answered while watching the liquid.

“Nothing else?”

“...Myself?”

“Yes, but not you in the reflection. Here, the you inside the glass.” the Wandered said while lightly tapping the glass.

“So this is me?”

“Your bad memories, your good memories and your dreams, all together to create something important: yourself, who you really are here today and who you will be _tomorrow_.” an old voice said from one of the tables.

“Professor! I didn’t see you!”

“You were too deep in self-pity as usual. But, just call me _**Long Island**_ when we are here, and now taste yourself...What do you feel?” the old woman answered with a gentle smile.

“...It’s strong...Bitter...But it's also good. I like it.” the young man admitted with a small smile.

“Just like you, Mister _**Amber Dream**_. If you want, we can share some anecdotes, as while alcohol does get better while left alone to itself, Sorrow only becomes more bitter and unpalatable.”

“A-Are you sure?”

“You left yourself _fermenting_ long enough, it is time to open the cap and let your friends help bring out the good flavour that has been hidden from the world.” the old woman offered while pointing the empty seat at her table.

“I don’t know...”

“Go, a burden weighs less if shared among friends.” the Wanderer encouraged him.

“D-Don’t mind me.” the young man answered, walking away from the counter to sit at that table.

( _ **Amber Dream:**_ _Dry Gin, Herbal Liqueur (_ in this case Chartreuse was used _) and a Bitter, like Campari, Cinzano or Angostura. You can find several ‘versions’ of this cocktail, some of which feature vermouth as well. It’s a bit old-fashioned, but with a very special taste.)_

“Good. What about me?” the solitary man asked.

“Any preference?” Ryu asked promptly.

“Surprise me, if you can.”

“If I can?”

“You knew who he was and already had a drink ready for him, don’t you? You knew that woman that knew him beforehand.”

“No, I just now have a clue about who he is, but Madame never gave me a description. So I did not recognize him as soon as he entered, the cocktail was a decision I had when I saw his haunted eyes.”

“Oh? And why so?”

“Because I never asked. A Bartender is never nosy and never pries in the privacy of his Guest ( _And I personally toe that line way too often_ ); we are merely a mirror: we become the True Self of whoever drinks at our bar, that is why who comes here talks so freely, _they_ decide the argument, never us.” Ryu answered while taking out a new glass.

“Interesting theory. So, tell me...What do I want to talk about?” the Wanderer asked, his face still plain and emotionless as only one man had ever been able to pierce through his mask…

“What do you want to drink?...Something like this maybe?” Ryu answered while taking out a few bottles.

“Uh?”

“1/3Cacao White _Creme de cacao_ Liquor, 1/3 _Peppermint_ Liquor and 1/3 Fresh Cream...Here it is, a _**Grasshopper**_.” Ryu answered, once he finished giving the finishing shakes to the shaker to pour the drink inside the Wanderer’s glass.

( _Grasshopper_ _)_

“So this is what I want to drink? Please, tell me why.” the young man asked, his tone both curious and challenging.

“Because it’s a Bartender’s job to observe his customers’ Hands and eyes.”

“Hands and eyes?” the other asked, confused.

“Blessed hands, sad hands, irritated hands, happy eyes, lying eyes, teary eyes...Hands and eyes reveal various emotions.”

“...”

“Mister _**Amber Dream**_ has the eyes of somebody unable to let go of a painful past, and signs of nails scraps on the back of his hands, meaning that he often rubs them together nervously...Usually that happens when under a lot of emotive stress, along dark bags that signify he doesn’t sleep a lot. I knew that one of Madame Minerva’s students was mentally torturing himself in guilt after a long series of tragic events, so I hoped to heal his soul. In the end I just gave an opening for Madame to approach him and help him finally open up and talk about what was tearing him up inside.” Ryu said, making the Wanderer chuckle.

“I knew it. And what about me?”

“Here in our world we have what we jokingly call ‘ _Bar Hoppers’:_ people hopping from one bar to the other, sometimes randomly, and sometimes with a clear path they repeat maniacally...You wear multi-purpose clothes, good for both hot and cold climates based on the accessories you can easily slip on or off. You know well enough a Village that is located in a giant desert, and yet used a door between the mountains as snow and the smell of pines briefly drifted inside with you.” Ryu answered, with a more serious expression.

“...In a sense, I am hopping around a bit.” the Wanderer admitted, with a barely-audible suffered sigh.

“Want to know the secret of this bottle?” Ryu asked out of the blue while presenting the Guest the bottle of mint-flavoured liquor.

“Uh?”

“In the latter half of the 18th Century, the Jett brothers were fretting about finding a good name for their new Mint-Flavoured Liquor ‘ _Gett 27’_ , so much that they ended-up misspelling ‘ _Peppermint’_ into ‘ _Pippermint’_. That was one of the reasons why at the beginning it did not sell well, until they changed the design of the bottle, it was then that it was finally recognized and became famous. In memory of that, for the following 200 years they still kept the misspelling in the new design.” the Bartender answered, showing the bottle of green liquor.

“Hn! You are not fooling me, there is no misprint.” the Wanderer answered with a tiny smile.

“Here.” the other answered, nonplussed, and showing the underside of the bottle and the _Pippermint_ misprint there, where nobody would normally look unless by turning the bottle upside-down.

“Still there, but hidden. Not many can see a person’s true feelings by just looking on the outside. A person crying loudly in public may not be truly sad inside, but the ones that leave the public and cry alone, those are the people who are most hurt.”

“...”

“My new Guest is hopping around without a goal, like a grasshopper looking for something, I thought this would have been an apt cocktail.” Ryu said, moving the glass just a bit closer to the Wanderer.

“...It’s sweet...and somehow nostalgic...” the young man admitted slowlyonce he tasted it.

“Thank you,” Ryu just nodded and moved to serve other customers, leaving the Wanderer alone with his thoughts.

**Several hours later -**

“I’ll be on my way, are you sure you can trust me enough to let me keep a tab open until I find enough gold to pay?” the Wanderer asked.

“Yes, sir. Having trust and believe in the Customer is part of the Bartender’s job.” Ryu answered.

“I will cover for your tab, don’t worry. Next time you will offer me a glass in exchange.” the young wizard that had entered with him said from his table.

“Thank you... _ **Amber Dream-**_ san.”

“Good day, Mister _**Grasshopper.”**_

“I’ll be back next week,” the Wanderer said with a small bow.

“Of course, sir. Just remember that there is a door in Suna too.” Ryu answered.

“Uh?”

“Looking for one’s true self is a thing, _escaping_ from one’s real self is another.” On the notes of those words, the Wanderer absentmindedly closed the door behind himself, watching it fade away before he could ask what the Bartender meant.

“Escaping from one’s real self...” the young man muttered while taking a step forward to return to his previous path...Only for his other leg to refuse to bulge as if glued to the ground.

“...”

“...Konoha is that way, isn’t it?” he asked himself, finding it strangely easy to walk in said direction, as if his legs weighed nothing.

“Strange, I still have that nostalgic taste in my mouth...It reminds me of the mint-flavoured sweets that mother used to love...The bakery producing them was actually built not too far from our compound...”

It was then that his walking stopped abruptly and he whipped around fast as lightning to look at where the door once stood.

“He knows the Kazekage...And the Kazekage knows me...That Bartender decorated the glass with mint leaves from Konoha!” the Wanderer muttered with wide eyes.

“That devious bastard, he made me feel home-sick with a mere cocktail!...The Dobe could learn a thing or two from him!...Hn! There is a door in Suna, eh? Very well, may as well give him a piece of my mind next time we meet...” the Wanderer announced with a bitter smile as he walked back towards his old Village.

* * *

**Episode 2: A purpose.**

**City Ruins – close to midnight -**

All was silent, only the frolicking of few night-loving animals was heard from the utterly-destroyed building, a small fire was quietly burning in a corner, illuminating in golden light the two figure sitting in a desolate corner of the place, even if neither of the two needed fire as they could not feel cold, but one of them felt the need of doing that, even just in memory of a group of dead companions that used to live not too far from where they were before being wiped-out completely.

“Eeeeeh.” the male of the duo said with a low, gurgling sound as he watched the fire in childish curiosity.

“You like the fire? It’s warm.” the short-haired girl with him tried saying.

“Eeeh.” her companion gurgled with a dumb smile.

“ _ **The Internal Mainframe has been damaged by the logical virus, chances to recover content and restore the unit are below 1%.”**_ the voice came from a small, squared flying machine with two small arms that kept floating next to the girl’s head.

“There is no backup, Pod?”

“ _ **With the destruction of the Yohra Headquarters, all data has been destroyed.**_ ” the Pod answered.

“So you are stranded here until you decade and disappear. No spare parts and back-up. Just like me,” another woman, this one with long hair and more wild in appearances, said with a bitter voice as she sat next to the girl.

“ **Error, the copies left behind by the rogue AI will provide enough spare parts to** **prolong the unit's** **life-span to sixty-thousand years, following human standards.”** the second Pod that joined with the wild woman answered.

“Good riddance! Beside we two and few other machines left behind by our ‘ _enemies’_ we are alone on this damn planet...Even the _War_ we had ongoing has become pointless.” Wild Woman answered, scoffing.

“What will you do then?” the Quiet Girl asked.

“You can stay here and hold the hand of that brain-dead moron if you want, I have other plans.”

“He-”

“He tried to kill me, and for a bit he did destroy me, just because he had to go crazy at the revelation that Humanity has long gone extinct and you were dead...Big deal! Spineless piece of scrap metal, the first bump on the road and he comes undone!” Wild Girl growled in answer as a single kick of hers caused the wall next to the boy to explode into debris.

“...Geeh?” the boy gurgled with his head reclined to the side, completely unfazed by the attack and watching the woman with curious, innocent eyes.

“WHY THEY EVEN REBUILT YOU?!” she roared.

“ **It was the right thing to do.** ” Pod 2 said.

“ _ **Even if full restoration is indeed impossible.**_ ” Pod 1 added.

“Right thing to do!? RIGHT THING TO DO!? Right for what? For WHO!?”

“Please calm down.” Quiet Girl asked.

“WHY SHOULD I?!”

“Please.”

“...Fine.” the other conceded while dropping down to sit next to her.

“...”

“...”

“What was your plan?” the short-haired girl finally asked after a long silence.

“Travel the world, walk until my servos last, you know? To see what’s left of everything. Now that we have nothing left to do.”

“ _ **That is actually a mistake.**_ ” Pod 1 said.

“Really? What are our ‘ _directives’_ then? Humans have gone extinct, the Aliens too. The few machines those invaders left behind are a bunch of pacifists that have hole themselves-up in a village with every entrance sealed-off so to not get visitors and every Yohra unit beside us three has been destroyed or has fallen victim of the Logical Virus that will soon destroy their brain...What is left for us then?” the renegade soldier asked, sounding very _tired_ at the moment.

“ _ **...”**_

“ _ **...”**_ both Pods went silent at that as their inner computer worked full power to find an answer, only to come up with nothing, possibly to their chagrin had they been actual living beings.

“So?”

“ _ **Inconclusive results.**_ ” both machines answered as one.

“What a surprise.” she answered, scoffing.

_Thunk!_

The soft noise alerted both women that immediately drew their weapons and assumed a fighting stance.

“ _ **Error! Door detected**_ _ **in the empty**_ _ **section of the wall!**_ ” Pod 1 alerted.

“ **No door has been registered on this floor’s west-side wall until now! Scanning system for Logical Virus...** _”_ Pod 2 added.

“ _..._ _ **No Virus detected!**_ ” both Pods declared.

“So what? A door appeared out of thin air?! You piece of junk!” Wild girl hissed angrily.

“Pod, analyze that door.” Quiet Girl ordered.

“ _ **Understood.**_ ” the small thing answered as it neared the simple wooden door, soon projecting a green grid covering it completely as the small bot analyzed it.

“... _ **Error! Door appears to be made of wood dated back to the year 2020, irregular energy readings of unknown origins have also been registered.”**_

“...A door made in centuries-old wood that is irradiated?” Wild Girl asked, incredulous.

“ _ **Correction, energy readings do not denote radiations of any known kind.**_ ”

“Just blast it to pieces, to be safe.”

“ **Understood**.” the girl’s own Pod answered, opening its main body in half to show the mouth of a small cannon and shooting from it a flaming ray of energy at the door.

_BOOOOM!_

To their surprise, as soon as the smoke cleared the door appeared unaffected.

“ _ **Unknown energy shielded the door, no damage has been registered.”**_

“I’ll open it.” Quiet Girl said.

“To what end?” the other woman asked.

“Curiosity.”

“...A reason like any other, I suppose. I’ll cover you, moron.”

Cautiously nearing the thing, the Quiet Girl in Gothic dress grabbed the well-polished handle of the door, and after a moment of wait, turned it to open the thing.

_Dling! Dling!_

Immediately the chiming of the small bell on top of the door grabbed her attention, along the clean room behind it illuminated in soft light.

“Oh! Good evening! You are the first Guest to enter tonight, welcome!” Ryu welcomed the new arrival with a gentle smile and a small bow.

“...I thought every Yohra Unit was destroyed or utterly insane, what place is this?” Wild Girl asked as soon as she barged inside to follow Quiet Girl in the strange room.

“Yohra Unit? I am sorry, but I am unfamiliar with that term.” Ryu answered with an apologizing tone.

“... _ **Impossible.**_ ” Pod 1 said.

“ **I concur, this is indeed impossible.** _”_ Pod 2 added, and both girls could swear those two machines sounded _shocked_ to their core.

“What do you have now?” Wild girl asked, rolling her eyes.

“ _ **Subject is not a Yohra Unit...He is human.**_ ”

“Yes? Is it that strange?” Ryu asked, a bit unnerved by the girls’ recoiling.

_Thump!_

With an inhumanly fast leap, the Wild Girl jumped over the counter to grab both Ryu’s cheeks in her hands and look him straight in the eyes.

“...This is not artificial skin, nor the eyes are _bio-crystal_...H-H-He’s a human...A-A-A Real one.” she declared.

“How?” Quiet Girl asked while grabbing one of the Bartender’s hands to study them.

“I guess something bad happened to the humans in your world?” Ryu tried saying while still getting studied by the girls and the two flying machines with them.

“Try with ‘ _Extinct’_.” Wild Girl admitted.

“ _ **Subject talked about ‘**_ Our world’ _ **, is the door a teleportation device created by humanity to reach another planet**_?” Pod 1 asked.

“Yes and no...It’s more like a door to another Dimension.”

“ **Impossible, the Multiverse Theory has been refuted during the scientific congress of 2065...** ” Pod 2 answered, and the tone sounded unsure somehow.

“But I am here, and the _Eden Cat Bar_ too, every seven days my door connects to other worlds and people of any kind ( _most of which humans)_ come here to drink.” Ryu tried answering.

“Humans? Plural?” Wild Girl asked, looking ready to hyperventilate, if that was possible for somebody like her.

“Yes?”

“Show me!”

“HEY! What are you doing to him!?” As if to answer her, the door opened again to let a man with broad shoulders enter, and he immediately took out and pointed the gun at his hip at the wild girl manhandling the Bartender, and his sister did the same as soon as she too entered the bar.

“Let him go and step back, slowly.” the young woman hissed while pointing her shotgun at the Quiet Girl.

“ _ **...Humans**_.” Pod 2 said, electronic voice as low as a whisper.

“Our apologies, humans are supposed to have gone extinct in our world, seeing one alive has been a surprise.” the short-haired girl answered once forcefully pried her companion off Ryu and away from the counter.

“New Guests, eh? It’s always a mess when _jumpy ones_ get in.” the young woman said with a sigh while lowering her weapon.

“ **Error, terrain conformation beyond the door is different from our entry point. City was not destroyed and traffic could be seen.”** Pod 2 said.

“Yeah, that is San Francisco, Sherry’s apartment gets this door next to the one to her bathroom once a week, and she lets us use it to grab a drink or two. By the way, Ryu, she will come here too shortly; can you prepare a glass of _**Dragon’s Fire**_ for her _ **?**_ So she’ll find it already ready when she comes.” the _Regular Guest_ asked.

“Of course sir. Has it been a tiring week?”

“You have no idea, we just had to deal with a new _Umbrella Mess_ and were even too eager to come here and relax as soon as we killed a new monster...That’s why...You know...The weapons.” the girl answered with a shy tone.

“It’s okay, Miss, I am not new to armed guests, just don’t start shooting randomly.” Ryu answered, giving her a reassuring smile.

“No need to tell me twice.”

“...Dragons come here too?” Wild Girl asked, looking a bit _overwhelmed_ at the moment.

“ _ **Error, The Human asked for a**_ _Dragon’s Fire_ _ **Cocktail. As registered in the ‘**_ _Cocktail Journal’_ **of 2032** : _ **1 and a half ounces of Absolut Mandarin Vodka, 1 ounce of Cointreau**_ _ **liqueur**_ _ **, 1 dash of lime juice and 1 ounce of cranberry juice.**_ ” Pod 1 answered.

“You are indeed correct, dear Guest, but Miss Sherry also wants a dash of Tabasco sauce in hers.” Ryu answered with a small smile as he expertly mixed the requested drink.

“And dragons come here too, or at least one does, whenever he fails to kidnap his princess.” the human woman added with a small laugh.

“ _Aaah_! Poor _**Manhattan**_ , unfortunately for him in his world Plumbers do way more than just unclog sinks.” her brother said with a chuckle.

( _ **Manhattan**_ _: 2 parts whiskey, 1 part sweet vermouth, 1 or 2 dashes of bitters, orange peel and real maraschino_ )

“The usual?” Ryu asked.

“Of course! Two glasses of _**Metropolitan**_ , please.” the two answered in chorus.

“As you wish.” Ryu answered.

“ **Metropolitan: 2 ounces of brandy, 1 ounce of sweet vermouth, ½ teaspoon of simple syrup and 2 dashes of** **Angostura** **Bitters.** ” Pod 2 supplied.

“You two are pretty knowledgeable,” the human male said, impressed.

“ _ **Every ingredient has gone extinct, this may prove we are indeed in another world.**_ ” Pod 1 said while scanning every ingredient Ryu kept using to mix.

_Dling Dling!_

“HOY, Ryu! A glass of dark beer for me!” a ball of blueish slime the size of a watermelon asked while bouncing on the floor until it reached a stool, and once sat there, it turned into a young man with blue air and wearing a fur coat.

“Incoming,” Ryu answered.

“ _ **Error. Unknown being detected**_.”

“I am not an unknown being! I am a friendly Slime!” the new arrival answered with a mischievous smile.

“And you come here for beer only.”

“To each his own, _**Metropolitan**_.” the Slime answered while sticking out a long slime-made tongue.

_Dling! Dling!_

“Hello? Ryu?” a new voice, female, asked from the outside the door.

“Ah! Young miss! Do come in!” Ryu answered, nonplussed, as a _BIG_ spider entered into the room, the peculiar thing about her were the two sickle-like arms she possessed as main _hands_.

“You evolved again?” the girl member of the ‘ _ **Metropolitan Twins’**_ asked in surprise.

“It has been an eventful week, yeah.” the spider answered, jumping on a stool and gladly accepting the wide dish Ryu prepared for her to drink from.

“Still without hands though.” the girl’s brother added.

“ _Nay-waaaaah_.” the spider whispered in answer with a whine.

“ _ **A mutated spider...**_ ” Pod 1 said, and it sounded strained as if the machine was going to crash mid-processing.

“Yeah, I am a spider, so what?” she answered, annoyed.

_Dling! Dling!_

It was then that a very short girl with golden blond hair tied in a strict ponytail and wearing a military uniform entered the place, she grumbled a few words to the guests already present and tiredly sat on a stool next to the Slime and Spider without saying a word.

“Eventful week for you too?” the Spider asked.

“Whenever I try to get away from the front-lines I see my plans get fooled, and I was just dismissed from the infirmary after a very ‘ _eventful’_ war.” the tiny girl hissed in answer.

“Ryu...”

“I know young miss used to be a salary man before being reborn in another world...But you are still in the body of a minor...” Ryu answered with a weak smile.

“I..I...J-Just give me a coffee then...” the tiny girl tried to answer before dropping the issue and leaning her forehead on the counter, she really wanted to argue she was still a soldier even if a kid, but after months worth of visits to the _Eden Cat_ , she had learned that it was a battle she could not win.

“At least coffee here is good, no? Better than the substitute one you get in your world.” the Slime tried saying.

“ _ **Human**_.”

“Yes, I am, you tin can.” the kid answered with a tired voice.

_Dling! Dling!_

One after another, humans and non kept walking in as the Bar opened for the flood of Guests coming from ‘ _The other side’_ , and both girls and Pods could see that in that place, humans were not as _extinct_ as they believed, along other beings the Pods had signaled as just _myths_ in their world being instead mere regulars, like fairies, lizardmen, mages and sirens...And the colorful talking ponies that could use ‘Magic’ almost had the Pods enact an emergency reboot with how _“wrong”_ they declared their existence as.

“What are you doing?!” Wild Girl hissed as soon as she detected her companion’s movement.

“The tables are full, he needs help.” the other answered as she neared the counter.

“May I help you?” she offered.

“You sure? I cannot let a Guest help me.” Ryu answered.

“I cannot drink, and I want to help.” she answered.

 _Sigh_! “...Then please, those four glasses go to the table with the 3 on it, you can see it on the base of the small lamp in its middle.” Ryu, sounding very grateful, said while giving her a tray with four tall glasses on it.

“Understood.” the strange girl answered while rapidly delivering the tray with very precise and fast movements without spilling a single drop, and Ryu wondered how she did it since she was blindfolded.

“Here is your order: _Gin Tonic, Garden of Green_ and _Amber Dream_.” she said while delivering the glasses to the table of strangely dressed people.

“Thank you, dear.” the old lady answered.

“Are you a waitress now?” Wild girl said, mockingly.

“Our base programming was about helping humans...I am helping him.” the other girl answered while helping collecting empty glasses and delivering full ones, going back and forth from the counter to the tables with godly speed and precision.

“How the mighty have fallen! From ‘ _Battle_ _U_ _nit_ _’_ , to ‘ _S_ _erving_ _U_ _nit_ ’!”

“I don’t see it as a downgrade, it is strangely _pleasant_ instead, something peaceful and not hectic, like fishing.”

“You enjoy fishing?” a near blond woman with orange armor asked excitedly.

“Yes, I do.”

“Nice! Me too!”

“Bah!” the Wild Girl uttered in distaste while walking away to study the place.

_Dling! Dling!_

“Good evening, may I help you?” Ryu asked.

“Depends, does this place have rum?” the pirate-dressed man asked back.

“We do, please take a seat, I’ll be with you in a moment.”

“Yeah, yeah...This is a classy place to find on a desert island, a pity the outside is a shack. You shoulda fix that.” the man said.

“Of course, sir.” Ryu answered, serving the glass of amber liqueur as asked.

“...And how in God’s name you got _**ice**_ in the middle of nowhere? Last I checked, the _Caribbean_ is not famous for ice!” the pirate said once checked the glass.

“A small secret.” Ryu admitted with a chuckle.

“Well, this’ good rum, damnit. Where did you get it? Because if you got some contacts I need to know them too!”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“You even call dear old me ‘ _Sir’_! Ah! Finding this place was a blessin’...Now though...I think I will take the whole bottle of rum AND leave, I am sure you won’t mind if I don’t pay this time, do ya?” the ragged man said with cruel amusement as he took out a flintlock pistol and pointed it at Ryu.

And immediately the entire Bar turned dead-silent, and _**ANGRY**_.

“Why so silent, guys? Take what you want! I am offerin’...Eh?” the pirate tried saying before turning to look at the entire room to see everybody glaring at him with their weapons drawn and pointing at him, may it be guns, swords, bows, staves, wands, cannons, frost-covered axes, unicorn horns, fairy bolts of lightning, hovering balls of fire, spinning red eyes, other flintlock pistols and many, MANY more.

“What’s wrong with yah?” the guy asked, confused.

“ **Drop your weapon.”** Pod 1 said.

“ _ **The warning will not be repeated.**_ ” Pod 2 said at the same time as both small bots moved in front of Ryu in a protective manner.

“You see, my not-so-intelligent friend...” Another Pirate-dressed man said while nearing him and talking with flamboyant gestures accompanying every word.

“We all here, _**love**_ this Bar. We love its drinks and we love its owner, especially its owner. Take me for example! I love to come here because the rum is cheaper than back home and WAAAY better in quality,”

“Thank you, Captain. Your stories are nice too to hear.” Ryu answered with a chuckle, looking at ease even with a gun pointed at his face.

“Atta boy! And when I come here, I get to drink with strange and interesting fellas that don’t want me dead, nor want to steal my ship _The Black Pearl_ and that’s nice too! And today I was partying with a couple of old acquaintances before you decided to make a scene.” the _Captain_ said while lowering the guy’s gun himself with a hand.

“That poor man finally broke free from a curse that forced him to be prisoner of his own ship and away from his wife, so I brought them here for a drink between friends...Be a dear and do not ruin the moment, will ya?” he then stage-whispered once leaned a bit closer to the rude new guest, loud enough to still be heard by everybody else.

“Stay back, you bastard!” the pirate growled while taking a step back.

“You have no manners, you clearly do not know how to use _Haki_ nor you posses the powers of a _Devil Fruit_ ; an idiot like you that can only wave guns around and act tough would have been eaten alive even in the East Blue, so pulling that act _**here**_ of all places is just suicide. Do not make a fool of yourself, drop the gun, pay your drink and leave. You are ruining the mood here.” another Guest, a young man with blond hair and curious twirly eyebrows, said with an unimpressed tone from his table.

“SHUT UP!”

“It’s clear there is no security here, fine! I will take care of it myself then.” the Wild Girl declared with a sigh as she marched towards the pirate-dressed idiot.

“Please stand down, we will take care of the situation.” Quiet Girl added, gesturing to the Guests present to lower their weapons with a slow gesture and making them comply with a worried expression.

“Stay back, you wench!” he answered while pointing the gun at her.

“Moron.” she replied, grabbing the gun at the muzzle.

_**Bang!** _ _Ting!_

To the man’s shock the bullet struck her forehead with a loud metallic sound before falling on the ground flattened like a coin, and no damage could be seen on the Wild Girl face.

“ **Flintlock Pistol, probably produced mid-17th century. Threat Level to a Yohra Unit: 0%.”** Pod 1 declared.

“What monstrosity are you!?” the man yelled in horror as he watched the _woman_ pull the gun away from his hand and crumble it with no effort as if made of paper until it turned into a small ball she then threw into the trash can.

“I am the one taking care of Security here. Now scram or I will make you.” she answered.

“...Yaaah!” trying with a different tactic, the pirate unsheathed a worn-looking _cutlass_ and tried attacking her again.

 _Ting!_ As with the bullet before, the attack was fruitless as the weapon snapped in two once it hit the woman’s arm she had lifted to defend herself.

“ _ **Subject has shown unwillingness to cooperate and violent behavior.**_ ” Pod 2 declared.

“ **The best course of action would be banning him from entering this Bar again.** ” Pod 1 added.

 _Sigh!_ “I hate doing that, but it is for the safety of the other Guests...I am sorry, Sir, but I am forced to ask you to leave. You are banned from entering the _Eden Cat_ again.” Ryu said with a suffering sigh and a defeated tone.

“So you are kicking me out, mate?!” The pirate said with a challenging tone.

“No, little idiot. The Bar will.” the _Captain_ answered with a smirk.

“The Bar?” the banned guest asked, and in answer, the door opened by itself and an unseen force started pulling him ( _and only him)_ out of the bar, making him flail his arms and scream in fear as he felt like something was dragging him away on the floor by the legs.

“WHAT IS THIS!? HELP! HEEEEEELP!” the banned pirate shrieked in fear until he went unceremoniously thrown outside.

 _ **SLAM!**_ With a loud, thundering sound, the door closed abruptly, cutting the man’s scream.

 _Sigh!_ “I am truly sorry for this, this is not supposed to happen.” Ryu said with slumped shoulders.

“Why are you apologizing? He entered here and immediately started bossing you around, he got what he deserved, and look! He even left behind a few coins to pay his bill!” one of the small fairies said as she took the various coins, all as big as her torso thanks to her small size, to put them on the counter.

“Just enough to pay the bill.” Ryu muttered.

“Cheer up, buddy! Nobody here is angry at you, so turn that frown upside-down and keep the cocktails coming, night’s still young!” _The Captain_ answered, smirking.

“Right, I still have a job to do. And thank you, you all were ready to jump to my rescue...This means a lot to me.” Ryu answered, bowing a little to his beloved Guests that looked a bit sheepish at the praise.

Said that, everything soon returned to normal, as if nothing happened to interrupt the pleasant evening the presents had ongoing.

“Does this mean that you too will help him?” Quiet Girl asked.

“May as well, he is still a human so I guess I am expected to help him...And this place really lacks security, so somebody has to.” Wild Girl replied.

“We are supposed to come here once a week.”

“Shouldn’t we just move here? We only need to take that moron of your friend here, is not like there is anything else keeping us in that world.”

“I-I don’t have a room to give you, I barely have a room for myself to sleep in the back...” Ryu admitted.

“Does this place have a storage room?” Wild Girl asked.

“Y-Yes?”

“Big enough for three sleeping bags?”

“Technically, but it is not comfortable to sleep there, a-a-at all.” Ryu answered, very unnerved.

“We are Yohra Units, we hardly need to sleep and ‘ _comfort’_ can easily be put aside as useless.”

“Our friend will not be a bother.” Quiet Girl added.

“HER friend, not mine. But yes, he will just sit in a corner and look around, he can’t do anything else with his brain fried, so he won’t bother anybody.”

“I am sorry for your friend.” Ryu said with a sad tone.

“He is still functional, so I believe he will one day recover.” the Quiet Girl answered.

“So can we stay?”

“I don’t know...What about your world?”

“That place will go on without us no problem, we’ll just get back there whenever we need spare parts and return the following week. We don’t need money nor food, if you are wondering...So?”

“I-I guess we can try then.” Ryu answered, sighing in defeat.

“Good choice. The Pods will protect you personally, while I will defend the bar AND you. You’ll keep helping with the tables?”

“Yes, but I will also join the fight should you need support.” Quiet Girl answered.

“Fair enough.”

“Then I guess I must welcome you into the Staff of the _Eden Cat Bar_...” the Bartender said with a miserable expression that clearly amused the Guests in there, making them chuckle at his misery.

**Once again I challenge you, a small Challenge between friends, who appeared here? And from what fandom?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Third Chapter. Sometimes new Guests don't need just a drink, but a friendly ear open to listen and don't judge...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically this story is listed as "Completed" but this because by being a "Slice of Life" it has the potential to be infinite.  
> I will update it whenever inspiration for a new "Episode" strikes me.
> 
> A small fusion of the manga “Bartender” and “Western Restaurant to Another World”, only with a way WIDER pool of Customers.
> 
> I wanted to try a “Slice of Life” Story for once, and in order to do so, the chapters had to be shorter still, more than usual, and to make up for it, I decided to have 2 episodes per chapter (2000 to 3000 words each) so to still give each chapter a proper length.
> 
> I am no Master Brewer/Bartender, I am taking both descriptions/reaction from the original “Bartender” Manga and/or looking on the internet for recipes/history behind the various liqueurs/cocktails that will appear here.
> 
> Should you see characters from other franchises, keep in mind this: I am trying to go a bit deeper into their humanity, beyond their ‘idolized’ character, technically they ARE living beings, they too have down times, sorrow and sadness, think outside your “shonen” for once.
> 
> I wish you the best of days.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing of all this, all rights reserved to the original owners. Please support the official releases.

_**A Little Game: Are you able to tell who are the guests that appeared in this Chapter? Tell me in the reviews!** _

**Isekai Eden Cat Chapter 3.**

**What a heart wants…**

**City – Night – School ground -**

_Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!…_

A young boy was running through the quiet, empty training ground of his school at rapid pace, ignoring the ache in his legs as he had long since finished the expected laps of that part of his training routine, but for some reasons his legs refused to stop.

_Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!…_

His heartbeat drummed loudly in his ears, and yet he pushed forward, he was no stranger to pain and fatigue, he had broken his bones in too many different ways to stop just because his muscles burned a little, although with how deep in thought he was, he barely felt it.

To be honest, with the level of inner turmoil he was in, even had somebody shot him he wouldn’t have felt it.

“ _More...More..More...More..._ ” his mind kept chanting, squeezing out of him just a bit more speed.

Another lap!

Another!

Another!

More!

MORE!

“ _Worthy! Be Worthy! YOU MUST BE WORTHY!”_ the same voice screeched, distorted and unforgiving into his ears.

“ **He** _Can probably run ten times your laps in his sleep! RUN MORE!_ ” the voice mocked the boy without mercy.

“More...More...” the boy muttered, ignoring the pain, ignoring the fatigue and ignoring the tears of agony (both physical and mental) escaping his eyes.

“ _Weak! Pathetic! You’ll never be worthy!_ ” the Voice said.

“Run...More...Lift...More...Stronger...Faster...” the boy mumbled incoherently as he pushed forward even faster.

**Not too far away -**

“I-It has been two weeks already, I have failed to have him see reason, he just...H-He is killing himself.” another young man with squared glasses admitted in shame, and looking at the boy in great worry.

“Killing himself?” the man with him, scrawny and with a wild mane of blond hair, asked with a tinge of horror in his voice.

“He follows his classes dutifully, so I didn’t notice at first, but then I had a bad feeling about his change in attitude and followed him closely...H-H-He has just threw away his life outside training...He lifts too much, he eats too little, runs too much and his sleep has reduced down to nothing...He just...He just trains, again and again. He is pushing through with his Willpower alone, but he is burning himself down to nothing...A-A-And I can’t stop him! Nobody can!” the boy said, looking distraught.

“I failed in my duties, I tried telling other teachers and they too failed. If he is forbidden to enter the gym he just sneaks out and trains by himself in some other way. Asking him failed, BEGGING him failed, threatening him failed...We even tried a-a-attacking him to FORCE HIM to rest in the infirmary, he just escaped as soon as he healed and trained even harder to recover the time he ‘ _wasted_ ’ eating and sleeping like a normal human. He listens to you, Sir...D-Do something! We are his friends, we are worried about him, and being unable to help is killing us.” the boy begged.

“Have you tried with...”

“He knows how that Quirk works, no matter what he won’t answer a single question, no matter how subtle, blunt, insulting, sudden or even _painful_ , he knows we were trying to force him to snap out of this, so he is always on guard whenever we try that.”

 _Sigh!_ “Of course he knows, he is a fanatic of everything Quirk related...He probably has pages of notes he took about it.” the blond man answered with a suffering sigh.

“Will you help us, Sir?” the boy asked again, sounding equally hopeful and desperate.

“How can I help you if it’s my fault if he is reduced like that?” the man admitted in shame.

“EH!?”

**Meanwhile – In another school – In another realm – Night -**

Aah! The night...The stars...the Moon! The complete silence around the young wolf made every thought he had become as loud as an explosion, but like that even the faintest ones could be heard, and he felt the need to be alone once again for this one time, that is why he had sneaked inside the school grounds in the dead of the night.

He was tall, very tall, a slim build that kept hidden a surprising amount of strength under his luscious grayish-blue fur, even more surprising were his gentle eyes, something unusual to find on a carnivore of his size and race.

“Once again being alone helps me, curiously it’s helping me find a way to not be alone anymore.” he muttered, unsure, and once again he gave a long sniff to the air to be certain he was truly alone and nobody was spying on him, especially by staying hidden under-wind.

“Nobody is around...Good.” he muttered with a sigh before sitting down on the ground to look upward, towards the sky.

“She should be asleep by now.” the tall wolf said, and the petite, pretty face of a small dwarf bunny flashed in his mind accompanied by an adorable short laugh, and his heart clenched tightly.

“Is it Love, Lust, or Hunger?” he wondered aloud once again

Calling his relationship with the tiny rabbit “ _rocky_ ” would be an understatement, not only because he was almost over two times her size, but he was a carnivore and she a herbivore!

No matter how much he WANTED her and staying with her, he still feared his instinct to take over and make him devour her, like he had once feared of having done; but not always one could get what he wanted, and even if both of them were trying their hardest, he still feared that deep inside him some day something will _break_ , and it will take her away from him.

Both wolf and Hero were in similar pits of self-pity, both feeling unsure about their future and, in small part, feeling undeserving of the ‘ _gift’_ life had given them, both unsure of deserving it and unsure about how to not watch that gift slip away and disappear...

“ _Just wanting a Happy Ending does not mean you can have one._ ” the wolf thought in sadness.

“ _Just wanting to be a Hero does not mean you can be one.”_ the young Hero thought in misery.

_Thunk!_

As soon both reached such a similar conclusion, so similar even if coming from people in different worlds, their ears caught a strange and faint sound, like something falling down and landing heavily on the ground.

“ _What was that?_ ” the Young Hero thought as he stopped his maniacal training to immediately run to check what was the source of the noise, and making the two people spying on him hurry to exit the school and chase him while fearing for his safety.

“What’s that noise? _” Sniff! Sniff!_ “It smells like wood and fresh polish...But why?” Curiosity and caution both pulling on his mind, the tall wolf moved towards the general direction he heard the sound come from, helped by his sensible nose picking the unknown wooden smell that had abruptly joined the scene.

“Uh?” it was then that they both saw it: a strange door with a simple and unassuming oval bronze plaque with **‘** _ **Eden Cat.’**_ written on it in an elegant font and decorated by a silhouette of a black cat lazily lying on top of the letters.

“Why a door is standing there...Is that somebody’s Quirk? Are they training? And why at this hour? Or is it a Villain?” the young Hero mumbled unsure, and while his muscles were screaming in pain, his mind was instead tirelessly going through every possible scenario at blinding speed.

“Why is a door there? By itself?...The scent of wood comes from there...Is the Drama Club preparing something and they left out it here to dry?” the wolf muttered unsure, last thing he needed was ruining the Drama Club’s latest project just by being paranoid...Even if nobody alerted him they were organizing something new that soon.

Neither of the two could tell why that door was there, and yet both felt wary of its standing in that isolated corner of their school, hidden from view and standing there by itself as if abandoned; what they could not explain was the strange sense of ‘ _wrongness_ ’ they both could feel prickling the back of their head while looking at it, as if their instinct was trying to tell them that this door should not be there, nor anywhere else on the entire planet.

No matter how many times they circled around it to check every inch of its frame, the door still looked unremarkable, just well-polished and smooth reddish wood, and standing perfectly straight in the middle of nowhere by itself, simple and humble, and yet, to the two of them that thing stood out too much, unnatural to their eyes, completely alien…

Then why they opened the damn thing?!

“ _I AM A DAMN IDIOT!”_ both mentally yelled in alarm as soon as they caught themselves opening the door.

_Dling! Dling!_

The small bell on top of the door chimed softly as soon as the door went opened twice in the span of a second to let the two new Guests in, inside a room that by any law of Nature should _**not**_ be on the other side of a lone door.

And unknown to them, the door momentarily disappeared as soon as they closed it behind themselves, confusing the ones spying on both Hero and Wolf as they could not tell how their targets could disappear out of thin air as soon as the two turned the corner.

“Good evening.” Ryuu welcomed both with a small, gentle smile and a bow.

“Good...Evening.” the young Hero whispered unsure, and watching the absurd ensemble of customers inside that strange bar, all of them colorful and out of ordinary.

“Good evening.” the wolf echoed behind the boy, he was the one more on alert since he did not recognize a single species in there, even the lizard guy with a pair of red crosses on his eyes drinking with a tall, muscular blond girl in a corner looked and felt ‘ _unnatural’_ to him.

Wherever he looked, his instincts were overloading in danger signals as he could tell _everybody_ in there could represent a lethal menace to him if they so wished, especially the strange black-haired, furless guy in black medieval armor that was looking at him rather insistently with his single working eye, as if trying to gauge how many swings he needed to slaughter him with that humongous giant slab of iron shaped like a sword he had propped against the wall next to him.

“Where are we?” the small boy in front of him asked with a whisper of voice.

“This is the **Eden Cat** bar, once every seven days, on Saturday, the door connects to other worlds, and my bar opens to whoever may need it.” Ryuu answered.

“Other worlds!? Is it your Quirk?” the Hero asked, amazed.

“Other worlds? Is it Magic!?” the wolf echoed, his tone instead full of shock.

“What do you think? Have you seen any of us around your place before now? Last time I saw a wolfman, it was not wearing a uniform, and surely he did not speak so politely...Not that Skellige is famous for its polite people, so who am I to talk?” a strange man with pure-white hair and cat-like eyes answered with a snort as he emptied his glass while playing a strange card game with a young white-haired girl sitting in front of him.

“Truth be told, you don’t look like any species I know,” The wolf admitted.

“Never heard of humans?” the long-haired Yohra Unit acting as the bar’s security staff asked.

“No? I would have put you as closely-related to the monkeys, though.”

“Wrong species, I am sorry.” the short-haired Yohra Unit, the waitress, answered.

“...My apologies if I offended you.” the tall wolf answered, before slouching down even more in an embarrassed bow.

“Well, humans share few ancestors with monkeys, we are their evolution basically, so no harm done. Please, take a seat. What can I give you? We accept payment in gold and silver.” Ryuu answered while gesturing a little towards two free stools in front of him.

“G-G-Gold?”

“Just few grams, have no fear. The equivalent of the drinks’ normal market price.”

“If this is really another world, they must also have different money, gold instead is probably _universally accepted_ between all of them.” the young Hero explained once seen the shocked expression on the wolfman’s face.

“Correct. The ‘ _price list_ ’ is in grams for silver and gold. You can have your first drink be on your tab since you didn’t know about this, you will pay me on your next visit.” Ryuu explained.

“And what if we don’t come anymore?” the young Hero asked.

“That has happened too, I of course do not blame them should they find my services not worth the price, even if it pains me a little.” the Bartender answered, honestly.

“Cheap bastards.” the silent black swordsman growled with a low voice, making the young man with short red hair and fairy with him snicker at his answer.

“And what about you? How do you cover for the ones that never come to pay their first drink tab?” the wolf asked.

“Lately the more generous customers have started leaving behind extra money for me to use in case something like that happens, or if a new Guest can’t pay for their first drink and don’t like leaving it on tab. It’s a practice well diffused here in my world, born in Italy under the name of _Pending Coffee_ , or _**Caffe Sospeso:**_ in this case one or two Customers leave behind paid drinks to perfect strangers.” Ryuu answered.

“Why?” The wolf asked.

“Just because. To be generous.” the Bartender said with a small smile.

“Use two of my _Pending Note_ _s_ , you two look like you need something good.” a young man with glasses and a peculiar faint scar on his forehead offered with a gentle smile.

“Ah...Thank you.” the wolf said with a touched expression.

“I am a minor...” the young Hero instead answered.

“A bar is not only a place to get liquors, have no fear.” Ryuu answered, nonplussed, as he watched the two finally sitting down.

“Thank you.” the young boy said with a depressed sigh, and wobbling a little in exhaustion even while sitting.

“You okay?” the wolf asked, worried, since his strange ‘ _drinking partner’_ looked ready to collapse at any moment, and the giant scars on his arms worried him a lot, one arm even looked like his muscles there had pretty much exploded like a grenade!

“I am, I was just...Just training...” the boy answered with a choked voice.

“Training? It must have been pretty intense, you are swimming in sweat!” the wolf admitted, impressed.

“Swimming in sweat? Oh! Sorry, your nose must be in hell! I-I-I’ll sit elsewhere! I am sorry! I-”

“It’s okay, stay.” the tall wolfman said gently, and noticing how much the boy was trembling under his touch when he lightly grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving.

“Are you okay?” he asked again, studying every inch of the boy’s face in great detail, as the fear he saw barely hidden in there looked horribly similar to the fear he once saw on the face of his beloved dwarf bunny, and he didn’t like that at all.

“I-I-I am okay, just tired. Nothing more!” the other answered with a fake smile that was way too well-faked, as if he was used to hide behind that.

“No, you are not.” the wolf said, bluntly, making the boy splutter a little.

“You are hurt, scared...But why?”

“...”

“Please tell me, is that why you have those scars? Who hurt you?” he asked.

“No, no. The scars are from fights...I am training to be a Hero, you know? I have a Quirk and all! I am not Quirkless! I can be a Hero...A Hero...I can be a Hero...” the boy replied, and the more he talked, the more severe his mad ravings became, until the dam finally broke and he started to cry.

“Hey.” the wolf said in alarm, watching the boy slam his face on the counter and starting to sob quietly until a small puddle of tears started surfacing from under his head.

“I am not useless, I am not u-unworthy.” the boy gurgled-out.

“I know. I can tell you are not useless.” the wolf replied, smiling.

 _Hic!_ “How can you know? We just met!” the young Hero answered, hiccuping.

“Would you believe me if I tell you I can see it in your eyes?” the other replied.

“Then look better, at best, I am a loser.”

“You are being pretty harsh on yourself,”

“Am I? I come from a world where people frown at you and look down on you if you don’t have super-powers, even a pathetic one! I always chased the dream of being a Hero, again and again, even if without powers, to demonstrate that one could become a Hero even just through hard work and Heart! And swallowed the pain whenever people laughed at me or looked at me in pity as if I was some delusional idiot...Then I was chosen to carry-on the torch of the greatest Hero of my world and even inherited his powers...”

“Normally that is a story a boy like you would tell with a giant smile, so what was the catch?” catching on rapidly, the tall wolfman asked.

“There has been an incident, a Villain and his group attacked us and in the fight a student of my same school got his Quirk erased, he sacrificed it to defend a kid, he threw his own dreams away to help her...And I was kind-of-bluntly told that the same guy was supposed to get the Quirk I now have...”

“Oh.”

“And you know why I got this Quirk? Because I had not one myself, because I was a Quirkless like my Idol. We both had not powers and yet aimed to be Heroes. Problem is, I only have the ‘ _Dream’_ of being a Hero...They instead already had powerful bodies, strong morals and spirit when they were picked as candidates...A-And I am just...Just Me.” the boy admitted.

“ _So he was basically a Herbivore that was given the fangs of a Carnivore, only to be told that somebody else bigger and stronger was supposed to get_ _those fangs_ _but didn’t_ _because of them_ _?_ _That’s awfully harsh._ ” the wolf thought with slightly narrowed eyes.

“You fear your Idol choose you just out of pity, and that he may now get second thoughts once seen that is first candidate may need that power to continue being a Hero?” he asked.

“...”

“...Yes.” the boy admitted with a very low voice after a long silence.

“So that is what you meant with you being _unworthy_.”

“Just wanting something does not mean that you can get it.” the young Hero admitted.

“Yes, I know what you mean.” the wolf answered with a long sigh.

“Uh?”

“There is this girl, she is pretty, you know? Small and weak, but with such a strong spirit...Cased into a tiny, frail body...But I am a carnivore, a predator, while she is a dwarf rabbit...A Herbivore...By all means a relationship should not work, even if I _**want**_ it to work, even if I want her by my side. But as you said: wanting something does not automatically mean you can have it,” he explained with a longing expression.

“You two are giant idiots.” the same white-haired man with cat eyes from before said with an amused snort.

“Uh?!” both new Guests gurgled-out as they rapidly turned around to look at him.

“Wanting something is the first step, not the whole trip. It’s the motivation,” he explained.

“Very deep, surprising coming from you.” the young woman with him said, chuckling.

“Spare me the jokes, I traveled for days to find you, and the _Wild Hunt_ was not making it easier so I earned the right to be the wise guy in this. See this girl, you two? I had to go through Hell and back to find her and protect her. I wanted to save her and I worked hard for it...And here she is.” the man explained while pointing at the girl sitting with him and making her smile gratefully at him in answer.

“Same here, this fool wanted to save his girl and avenge his comrades, and he did it!” the fairy sitting on the shoulder of the black-haired swordsman added.

“ _Tch!_ Too many _Apostles_ standing in my way though, could have been happier if there weren’t that many.” the man himself said while grabbing his new glass with his artificial arm.

“Sometime we want something we can’t get, yes. But there are dreams we can still turn into reality, you know?” the blond woman drinking with the lizard-headed man said with an amused smile.

“Yeah, you need to bust your ass, though! But it’s the basics, yes? Work hard for it and you’ll get it!” the lizard-man added.

“Even if you want the sun to rise from the North?” the young wolfman asked, chuckling.

“If you don’t try, you can’t know if you can get it or not! Who knows, maybe you will find a way!” the man with the head of a lizard countered with a smirk.

“Easy for you to say, you all look strong...I just...Lost the will to fight, I guess...” the young Hero muttered.

“Impossible.” another guest answered, smiling kindly as she walked towards the boy to sit next to him and ruffle his hair a bit, uncaring of the huge amount of sweat covering them.

“My hair-”

“It’s okay, little one.” the young woman answered.

“See him? The man I am drinking with?” she said while pointing at her companion.

“Uh-hu?”

“Do you know he was born without his four limbs, skin, five senses and everything else?” she explained.

“Eh?!”

“Uh-hn! His father tried sacrificing him to a bunch of demons, and each one of them took a piece, until they left literally nothing. He was supposed to die.” she said.

“But he...He looks normal...” the Wolfman asked while looking at the young man with wide eyes.

“I killed the demons and took everything back.” the guy said with a small smile while drinking.

“You should listen to his story one day, dear _**Sake Mojito**_ got it hard even before being born!” a regular Guest admitted.

( _ **Sake Champagne Mojito – rice wine, sparkling wine, lime juice and a touch of stevia.**_ )

“Sake Mojito? That’s a curious name.” the Wolfman admitted.

“Every Guest here call each other with the name of their usual order.” Ryuu answered.

“Uh? Why?”

“Because once passed that heavy-looking door, they want to leave outside the ‘ _Weight’_ of their names and life and just relax, free to be themselves without people’s expectations weighting them down.” the Bartender admitted with a soft chuckle.

“I still call him _Aniki_ instead...Or _Darling,_ when I feel particularly romantic.” the woman added with a mischievous smile.

“Would be nice if you paid at least once, though, you keep using the _Pending Notes_.” a Guest said, making the girl blush.

“Ryuu said it’s fine!” she said with a loud whine.

“To each their own. You can call me _ **Mint Julep**_ when we meet here, since she doesn’t want me to drink liquor when together. _ **”**_ The Witcher said, grumbling.

“Somebody has to take care of your health! You can call me _**Asian Pear Sparkler...**_ Or just _**Sparkler.”**_ his drinking companion added with a chuckle.

**(** _**Mint Julep: non-alcoholic Cocktail:** _ _6 mint leaves rinsed, 1 1/2 c. sugar, 2 c. cold water, 3/4 c. lemon juice, 4 c._ _of_ _any flavor of lemon-lime soda pop, 2 c. ginger ale_ **)**

****

**( _Asian Pear Sparkler: non-alcoholic Cocktail:_** _1 cup_ _freshly pressed_ _(_ _Asian_ _)_ _pear juice, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ¾ cup honey, ¼ cup sugar, 1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary, 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger peeled and cut into coins, Small grating of fresh nutmeg, Ice Soda, water_ ** _)_**

“...Call me _ **Blood Martini**_ if you have to,” the black swordsman with the giant sword added.

**(** _**Blood Martini:** _ _1 1/2 ounces citrus vodka,_ _1 ounce ginger liqueur, 1 ounce grape juice (dark), 1/2 ounce blackberry syrup,_ _**Garnish** _ _: 2 blackberries and/or raspberries._ _**It offers an intriguing array of blackberry, grape, and ginger flavors in a blood-red cocktail easy to mix up.)** _

“By the way, he managed to get a second chance at life with a fake body giving him the ability to move and fight, and with that, he spent his entire life hunting down the demons that took away his body parts, and after a long journey, he killed them all and he is now a normal human again. Why? Because that was what he wanted.”

“He killed demons while without skin, limbs and whatnot? How?” the young Hero asked, shocked.

“I wanted my body back,” _**Sake Mojito**_ answered, simply.

“He wanted his body back and was given a chance, and he took that chance, he worked hard and recovered what belongs to him.” the young woman explained.

“You said you want to be a Hero and that you were given a chance by your Idol. Now it’s your turn to work hard to become one.” the black swordsman said with a grunt.

“Life works like this in the end, if you have a feasible dream and are given a chance to turn it into reality, you have to get it, and work hard to achieve it.” the muscular blond woman added.

“Yep! What she said!” the lizardman with her chorused.

“But what if...What if I am not worthy of my Quirk?”

“Is that man really in any position to decide that for you?” The tall wolf asked.

“It used to belong to him...”

“And now it’s yours, now is up to you to use it and bring honor to it, but in YOUR way, not his.” the wolf answered.

“I don’t know.”

“Do you even need a super-power to be a Hero? There are many ways to be a Hero and make a difference.”

“Even if I am a Loser?”

“You are? You don’t look like one to me.” the wolf said, smiling.

“Look better, I am one...”

“What do you think, Ryuu?” the Yohra Unit responsible for Security asked.

“A Good Bartender never joins a conversation, we are not supposed to listen even, just offer silent moral support and never judge.” Ryuu answered, smile never faltering.

“But what do you think about this?” the wolf asked, curious.

“...Man does not lose. Man is not made for defeat, he can be broken, but not defeated.”

“That’s Hemingway! _The old man and the sea!_ ” a young lady said in recognition from the bottom of the room.

“Uh?”

“It’s a famous book, I have a copy here an old regular gave me as a present. He too was in a moment of deep self-doubt when he first entered here, forced to transfer from his job because considered a ‘ _Loser’_ , and learning of Hemingway and the story behind this book helped him find the strength to turn his misfortune into a new chance. He is now the top seller of his old company, and gifted me a copy of this book in memory of that day.”

“The book has a sad story behind its creation?” the young Hero asked.

“Its author, Hemingway, was a great writer and a man of adventure that had participated to a World War, had gone to hunting trips all over the world and never stopped in front of anything; but before writing this he was in a moment of his life where he had lost his spark. For ten long years he could not write a single word.”

“A writer that has spent ten years staring at a white page, it must have crushed his soul.” the tall wolf said, having enough experience in the art of drama and writing to actually understand how that would feel.

“It was in that period that his life took a strange turn: fishing during the day and drinking during the night in the bars of Cuba. Many thought he was living the good life, but it was instead one of the saddest moments of his existence, but he never gave up, and as if finding the right inspiration in his reflection inside his drink, he finally wrote that book. And this work opened to him the path towards a Pulitzer and even a Nobel prize, the dream of many of his peers” Ryuu answered.

“He had just touched the bottom, and still found the strength to get back to his feet, he did it in a stranger way than most, probably, but it was HIS way, not anybody else. I believe you should do the same.”

“Even if I am not as strong or fast as I am supposed to be?”

“You may not be stronger or faster than the other guy that was supposed to get your Quirk, but you’ll find your way to do this, and you’ll be just as worthy.”

“And you? What about your girlfriend?” the young Hero asked the wolf.

“Maybe I will find my own way to make the relationship work, even if everything said it shouldn’t work. If a man can recover his body parts, a door leading to apparently nowhere can instead take me to a strange bar and a poor writer can recover his inspiration after years of void thanks to a drink...I can make a relationship work, even if the girl is a herbivore! You heard the Bartender: a Man is not made to be defeated, you may be _broken_ , but you can’t be defeated, not now, not ever.” the tall wolf answered.

“Man is not defeated...” the young Hero mumbled, deep in thought.

“What was the cocktail he loved to drink?” the tall wolf asked while presenting his ID to show he was 18 years old.

“Mister Hemingway? It was a _**Daiquiri**_ , a variation of it that his favourite bar ‘ _El Floridita’_ ended-up naming after him. I’ll prepare it immediately.” Ryuu answered.

“ **Hemingway Daiquiri (Papa Doble/ Papa Daiquiri):** _105 ml Bacardi Gold Rum, 30 Ml freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice, 22,5 Ml Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, 30 Ml freshly squeezed lime juice, 15 Ml Giffard Sugar Cane Syrup.”_ One of the two small robot ‘ _Pods’_ hovering behind Ryuu explained while the Bartender expertly mixed the drink he then served in a large martini glass garnished by a lime wedge.

“Here it is, please enjoy.” Ryuu said once positioned the glass in front of the tall wolf.

“I don’t drink liquor usually, but we both came here and took over a couple of stools, is good courtesy to order at least one drink.” he explained while taking a sip.

“WHOA! This is good!” and admit in awe immediately after.

“Thank you, dear Guest. In this version there is very little sugar in it since Hemingway was said to abhor sweet tastes, so the flavor of fruit in it feels fresher, this version also contains double the amount of Rum, just the way the writer himself liked it. So much that the recipe was soon known to the people of Cuba as ‘ _ **Hemingway Daiquiri’**_ , or ‘ _ **Papa Doble’**_ in honor of their beloved _Papa Hemingway_.” the Bartender explained.

“I don’t know what to order instead.” the Young Hero admitted.

“It’s okay, no need to worry. If you like, I can propose something myself, non-alcoholic, of course.”

“Oh! O-O-Okay.”

“Something simple, refreshing and not too sweet...Good for somebody dead tired after a long training session...” Ryuu muttered as he took out a highball glass and filled it in ice cubes and then adding green tea and other ingredients.

“Uh?”

“ **Almond Green Iced Tea:** _4 parts green tea, 1/2 lemon juice, and 1/2 part Orgeat Almond Syrup.”_ the second Pod said from behind Ryuu.

“Yes, garnished with a lemon wedge for extra flair and flavor. I got a very good batch of _Matcha_ Green Tea this time, so it will be particularly tasteful.” the Bartender added.

“Green tea?” the Young Hero said, unsure.

“You don’t like green tea?” Ryuu asked immediately, already fearing the worst.

“No! No! It’s just...There is a girl...O-o-our names together mean _Green Tea_ so...” the boy admitted with a very red face.

“For you to discover that your names combined mean that, does it mean that you have a crush on her?” the tall wolf asked with a knowing tone.

“M-M-ME and Ura...NO!” the young Hero denied vehemently.

“Liar.” the black swordsman muttered.

“You are surrounded in strangers, nobody will judge you.” the wolf said.

“...M-M-Maybe I have thought about her...Once or twice.” the boy admitted.

“I KNEW IT! YOU ARE A MAGIC USER! You knew he has the hots for a girl and what their names were without him telling you!” the lizard-headed man yelled while pointing an accusing finger at Ryuu.

“The hots for- OH MY GOD!”

“Please, I told you, I am not a Magic User! The choice of cocktail was only a coincidence.” the poor Bartender answered.

“Please forgive him, our first visit here was pretty ‘ _Eventful’_ ,” the blond woman said with an embarrassed expression.

“Not a Magic User...His door appeared like they all do, he is fooling no-one.” her drinking partner muttered with a huff, but luckily sitting down without too much resistance.

“Something tells me you do have feelings for her.” the Tall Wolf muttered with a friendly smile as soon as the situation fully calmed-down.

“...”

“You can tell me. I will keep the secret, promise.”

“...Maybe. B-B-But I am not good with girls.”

“Is she a good friend too?”

“Uh-hu.”

“And you are afraid to lose that if she does not return the feelings.”

“...Yes.”

“Ahh...I was the same, you know?”

“R-Really?”

“To me was even worse though, I had...I _still have_ , this dark voice in the back of my head telling me she is _**mine**_. The instincts of a predator are _dark_ , so it often scares me, because some times I can’t distinguish the me wanting her because I like her from the ‘ _Me’_ that wants her just because my instincts registered her as somebody I want.”

“I am sorry to hear that, but you seem a nice guy, so I know you can do it!” the young Hero answered.

“Huhuhu! You trust a stranger, but not yourself, how’s possible?” he asked, both amused and impressed.

“I wish I knew...” The other replied.

“What do you think?”

“Me?” Ryuu asked, confused.

“Hu-uh.”

“I really shouldn’t.”

“I can see it, you want to help. Come on,”

“...The greatest men and women that are remembered for their deeds are remembered for their successes, hardly for their mistakes, but they made mistakes and fumbled on their first steps like everybody else, and even their early days are mostly forgotten. It’s what they do with their gift that people remember, either for Good or for Evil. Who’s your Idol?” Ryuu asked.

“All Might...”

“Was he _always_ a great Hero?”

“Well...He was a Prodigy...”

“Uh-hu.”

“S-Sure there was that incident with _**Omega Samurai**_ , his first nemesis, h-he escaped him quite a few times.”

“Okay,”

“O-O-Or against Doctor Anarchy, s-s-some say she could escape him because he hold back because she was a woman for whom he might have had a crush...B-But he is a Legend now!”

“Exactly, he is one _now_ , he wasn’t one when he began; when we are born we first learn to walk, then to run. You clearly want to run a marathon while you are still learning to walk and you are burning yourself down.”

“I am not...”

“You are shivering even inside here, you are extremely thin and pale and have sunken red eyes. You are pushing yourself beyond your limits to compete with somebody older than you that had been doing this for longer than you. You are trying to close a _gap_ that has formed naturally, outside your control too fast for your body to keep up.”

“B-B-But he is...He is stronger...And faster...and has this amazing Quirk and body and he is so smart.”

“And you?”

“Me?...I am just me...Nothing.”

“I don’t see “nothing” here, because this ‘ _Just Me’_ you are sounds like a very nice gift instead.” Ryuu said.

“I wish that was true.”

“To me it is, I see two very great Heroes that are unaware of being Heroes, and it’s curious.”

“Eh? Me? A Hero?” the Tall Wolf said, shocked.

“You are fighting against your own instincts so to keep your relationship _pure_ and not just animal cravings, and for being a big wolf, you keep trying to appear as small and non-threatening as possible with a lowered posture, as if afraid of scaring everybody away. You both look almost ashamed of yourselves...But from what I see and hear, you should have no reason to...So why this is happening?” Ryuu asked.

“It’s a long story, I fear.” the wolf answered with a mirthless, void chuckle.

“Very long.” the young Hero chorused.

“...You know what a _Bartender_ is?” the young man asked out of the blue.

“Uh?!”

“It’s formed by two words: _Bar_ , that is to say, a roost, and _Tender_ , kind...Put them together and instead of a mere table of wood, you get a _Kind Roost_. Born from the kindness of the _Bartender._ ”

“Oh.”

“No matter who they are, if they sit on that stool or at a table, they are welcomed; nobody is a _Monster_ or _Unworthy_ , they all are beloved Guests, and a Bartender will never betray them, for if there isn’t kindness, then the place is not a bar.” Ryuu explained while moving the glass of green tea cocktail a bit closer to the boy.

“...I-It’s good.” the young Hero admitted with a small and impressed smile once tried it.

“Thank you.”

“...You won’t judge?”

“Never, dear Guest.”

“ _ **A-A-Almond Green**_...Call me...Call me _**Almond Green.**_ ”

“And me, well, I think I will go with _**Papa Doble**_ then.” the Wolf added with amused chuckle.

“Of course.”

“...So...My story...It is nothing extraordinary, or it wasn’t before a schoolmate of mine was attacked by a Carnivore...”

**Several Hours Later – Super Hero school -**

“Where is he?! WHERE IS HE?!” the tall man with wild hair and skeletal body hissed in maddening worry.

“You had _**ONE JOB**_ , you glasses-wearing bastard! You can’t really be so fucking useless!” one of the students said while unconsciously creating a micro explosion from his right hand.

“He acted as if he had heard something and ran away and I used my own Quirk to chase him, but somehow he disappeared as soon as he turned the corner.”

“ _Ribbit!_ You chased him while going full-throttle and still lost him?” a girl with frog-like features asked, impressed.

“Regretfully yes, I am ashamed to admit I was not fast enough.”

“Figures! That useless nerd must have been kidnapped!”

“You are acting awfully worried, especially about somebody you daily proclaim to hate.” another student said with a mildly-surprised tone.

“Just mind your fucking business, _Half-N-Half!_ ”

“The fact remains that we have to find him.” another girl answered.

_Dling! Dling!_

“AH!” the assembled group of heroes jumped in fright when they heard the chiming of a bell from behind them, and turning as one they saw a door appear out of thin air in the middle of the school-ground to stand there by itself, and then open to show a room full of people waving goodbye to their missing friend as he came out.

“Oh! Good evening!” the boy said in surprise once seen his friends all there.

“G-g-good ev-WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU?!” the explosion-themed young Hero bellowed.

“Having some iced tea in the _ **Eden Cat**_ bar.” the other answered, unnerved by the outburst.

“A Bar?” the others chorused, and watching with nervous eyes as the door closed by itself and _melted_ like water to disappear without trace.

“The-There was a door here...” a short boy with balls of hair on his head said with a nervous tone.

“A door leading to a bar that wasn’t there...I-I saw people inside...” a bright-pink-skinned girl added.

“ _Ribbit_ , but there was only the door, not a single wall around it, so...Ghosts? _”_ the frog hero muttered.

“Ghosts do not exist! I know there must be a scientific explanation behind it! Maybe it was just a tasteless publicity stunt of somebody using their Quirk to attract customers!” the bespectacled hero answered while looking with obsessive care around the area where the door used to be.

At the same time the students were throwing around wild guesses about the mysterious origins of that door, the young Hero had neared his idol to look at him straight in the eyes.

“Listen, I didn’t mean to say that you are-”

“It’s okay, you can find me unworthy if you want, I won’t hold it against you. But I know I can become a great Hero nonetheless. If it makes you feel better, I can let him have the Quirk, I will find another way.” the boy cut him off, with a spark of his former _Willpower_ slowly reigniting behind his eyes.

“Even as a Quirkless?”

“I don’t need to punch a mountain into rubles to be a Hero, I want to believe my actions will make me a Hero, not my power. Maybe I disappointed you, but I won’t disappoint whoever still believes in me.” he answered, still a bit more determined than before.

“I never found you unworthy and you have never disappointed me, you fool. Quite the contrary in fact.” the Pro Hero said with a chuckle while ruffling the boy’s hair.

“Good, because this training regimen is killing me...” the boy admitted with a shy smile, before fainting right in the man’s arms and scaring his friends down to the core.

“Help me bring him inside, I guess he is finally ready to get back to normal.”

“Thank goodness!” the others answered while they watched the Pro Hero carry the boy on his back inside the school.

“ _I don’t know who runs that place, but I guess they don’t know what a miracle they made today, and with a glass of tea at that!_ ” the Pro Hero thought while looking back at where the door used to be with a grateful look in his eyes.

**At the same time – in another world -**

“AH! There you are!” a small dwarf rabbit said in relief as soon as she saw the Wolf exit a mysterious door.

“Why are you around at this hour of the night? It’s dangerous, you know?” he answered.

“I saw you skulk around looking depressed, and I got worried.” she answered with a small smile.

“Worried? For me?”

“Surprising, isn’t it?”

“A bit...Ehm...”

“Yes?”

“T-There are some nice stars tonight...”

“Do you want me to join you in watching them?”

“You don’t need to feel obliged or anything, it was just-”

“A lovely idea, so yes, I think I will keep you company.” she finished saying for him.

“Nice.” the wolf replied, finding a nice enough spot so that both could sit down and watch the stars above them, sitting close and in silence and relishing in the company of the other.

**Inside the Bar -**

“You were strangely insistent in making them talk, it’s unusual for you.” the Yohra Unit responsible for Security asked.

“Sometimes people want to pour their grievances out to somebody that won’t judge them, but at the same time, they DON’T want to talk about what is hurting them. A small part of them see that as a show of weakness and are afraid to show that same weakness to anybody, even themselves, but their heart begs for somebody to be there to listen and share the pain, because they know that if they talk aloud about it _maybe_ they will finally get closer to a solution.” Ryuu answered.

“So you gave those two that tiny push they needed?” she asked.

“They helped each other, you saw them, both were ready to help a stranger in need instead of themselves, I did very little in this case.”

“Yeah, yeah! Tell that to somebody that believes that, you are way more sly than what people believe.”

“S-S-Sly?” Ryuu gasped, horrified.

“Maybe they should call you ‘ _ **Devil’s Glass’**_ instead _.”_ she finished saying with a chuckle.

“D-D-Devil?!” the Poor Bartender gasped in despair, causing the entire bar to descend into a chorus of laughs at his expenses that made him flush scarlet in embarrassment.

“ _I am no Devil..I just want to help my Guests..._ ” the young man thought.

_Dling! Dling!_

Just as those thoughts came, they soon disappeared as a new Guest entered, since a good Bartender was always ready to welcome with a smile whoever entered from their door.

**Another Chapter done, only a single super-long episode this time.**

**Once again I challenge you, a small Challenge between friends, who appeared here? And from what fandom?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, beign stubborn is not a virtue...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically this story is listed as "Completed" but this because by being a "Slice of Life" it has the potential to be infinite.  
> I will update it whenever inspiration for a new "Episode" strikes me.
> 
> A small fusion of the manga “Bartender” and “Western Restaurant to Another World”, only with a way WIDER pool of Customers.
> 
> I wanted to try a “Slice of Life” Story for once, and in order to do so, the chapters had to be shorter still, more than usual, and to make up for it, I decided to have 2 episodes per chapter (2000 to 3000 words each) so to still give each chapter a proper length.
> 
> I am no Master Brewer/Bartender, I am taking both descriptions/reaction from the original “Bartender” Manga and/or looking on the internet for recipes/history behind the various liqueurs/cocktails that will appear here.
> 
> Should you see characters from other franchises, keep in mind this: I am trying to go a bit deeper into their humanity, beyond their ‘idolized’ character, technically they ARE living beings, they too have down times, sorrow and sadness, think outside your “shonen” for once.
> 
> I wish you the best of days.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing of all this, all rights reserved to the original owners. Please support the official releases.

**Isekai Eden Cat Chapter 4.**

**Episode 1: Good Doors and Bad Doors.**

**In a dystopian, dirty city – Closed Restaurant -**

_Plick! Plick! Plick!_

There was a tense silence inside the small restaurant broken only by the faint noise of dripping water from the kitchen’s sink, a silence caused by the two people sitting at the opposite ends of the main room and looking at each other straight in the eyes, one was a very tall and muscled man with a lizard head while the other was an athletic woman with long blond hair; neither knew how to actually start their conversation, and deep down, neither of the two wanted to be the one to actually start their talk, mostly out of fear.

The place was fairly dark with most of the lights turned off to make sure nobody knew they were in there.

_Plick! Plick! Plick!_

“...” the girl sighed softly while passing a hand through her hair, she sat on a chair in a reverse position so to lean on its back and half-bury her face in her crossed arms.

“Eeeh...” the lizard-headed man left-out a long breath as he sat at one of the tables, it was the first noise in the two hours they have been sitting there in silence.

“Kai-”

_**THUNK!** _

As soon as the girl tried to finally say something, a loud thump echoed into the restaurant as a door appeared not too far away from the two, making both jump to their feet.

It was a _strange_ door, with a simple and unassuming oval bronze plaque with **‘** _ **Eden Cat.’**_ written on it in an elegant font and decorated by a silhouette of a black cat lazily lying on top of the letters.

The door looked unremarkable: just well-polished and smooth reddish wood, and standing perfectly straight in the middle of the room by itself, simple and humble, and yet, to the two of them that thing stood out too much, unnatural to their eyes, completely alien.

And that was BAD NEWS for the two!

“A MAGIC USER!” the lizard-headed man roared in anger, and grabbing a combat knife as he took a combat stance.

“How did they know we were here?!” the blond woman added with narrowed eyes.

“...”

“...”

“...Why nobody is coming out?” the lizard asked with a low voice after a couple minutes of silence.

“...I’ll open it.” the woman said as she slowly neared the thing.

“WAIT!”

“Uh?”

“...B-Be careful...We still have to talk.” the Lizard muttered.

“Yes.” she replied, grasping the doorknob and pulling the door open.

_Dling! Dling!_

“DIE, YOU BASTARD!” the Lizardman roared as he jumped forward.

“WAIT!” the woman yelled as she chase after him.

_**CLANG!** _

“...Feisty, aren’t we?” the Yohra Unit taking care of security asked with a bored tone once grabbed the lizardman’s knife with her bare hand, and to the two’s shock she was not bulging of a millimeter.

“Let go!” the lizardman hissed as he tried pulling away with all his strength, with no success.

“After you have calmed down.” A replied with a tone of ridicule.

“Then I will force Ya!-” _**CLANG!**_ “FUCK My _Deeeth!”_ the man tried biting her shoulder, only to feel a couple teeth shatter on contact.

“ _Whad ar’ ya made hof?!_ ” the guy hissed in pain through his aching jaw while holding his mouth with both hands.

“ _ **Every**_ _**Yohra Battle Unit posses an Unobtanium shell covered in artificial skin. Chances of biting a piece off for non-mechanical fighters: 0%**_.” Pod 1 answered while defending Ryu.

“ **Now cease and desist, or you will be banned from the bar.** ” Pod 2 added.

“Banned from the bar?” the woman asked, confused.

“Once every seven days, on Saturday, my bar’s door connects to other worlds to permit to people from ‘ _The other side’_ to come here to drink. I am sorry if my door’s appearance startled you.” Ryu explained.

“So you entice people here with the promise of a drink? That’s some dirty trick.” she asked with narrowed eyes.

“Ah-ehm!” it was then that the two _**FINALLY**_ noticed the other customers behind them, and every single one of them was _Pissed._

“Now, now, now! Why don’t we sit down and talk like civilized people? There are no enemies here so there is no need to fight.” Who talked was a very tall humanoid being dressed in strange overly-elaborated clothes, with bright cerulean skin, pure-white hair combed vertically straight in a gravity-defying way and carrying a tall staff in his hand.

“Who do yah think you- _Guh_?!” the Lizardman tried saying before the strange being tapped him on the forehead with a finger, and the power behind that playful tap had him fall down sitting on the floor.

“You see, this is the only place where my Lord and his brother can meet in a civil manner, so we would really like you two to not damage it, please?”

“Exactly!” another blue-skinned Guest, this one a female, added with a cheerful smile, and both pointed with their staves at a duo of humanoid purple cats sitting at the same table while glaring at each other.

“I found this bar first.” the skinny purple cat in strange clothes hissed.

“The planet this bar is built on is part of MY Universe! So this bar is more mine than yours!” the fat purple cat hissed back.

“Please, dear Guests. Brothers should not argue.” Ryu said with a gentle smile while he personally delivered them two mugs topped with whipped cream he then decorated with a pinch of chocolate shavings.

“ _Uoooh_! You did it? Really!?” the skinny cat asked with starry eyes.

“It’s the first time they ask me a drink from a TV Show, but I admit this is a nice recipe, so I thank you for proposing it to me.” Ryu answered, and behind him the short-haired Yohra Unit delivered two similar mugs to the blue-skinned guys that came with the cats.

“What’s this?” the fat cat asked while studying the mug.

“This is a _**Peppermint Patty**_ , you idiot!...GOOOOD! GOOD! GOOD! GOOD! Just like I imagined it!” the skinny cat answered before finally tasting it, and growing extremely happy.

( _Contrary to normal,_ _this is a cocktail from a TV Show instead of a “Normal One”, directly from_ _ **Archer**_ _:_ **The Peppermint Patty Cocktail:** _ **8 OZ. HOT CHOCOLATE, 1 OZ. PEPPERMINT SCHNAPPS, 1 OZ. DARK CRÈME DE CACAO, ¼ OZ. CRÈME DE MENTHE, WHIPPED CREAM, CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS.**_ _only for people ready to enter the DANGER ZONE!)_

“Thank you, dear Guest.” Ryu said, elated, and returning behind his counter.

“Oh, my! It really is nice! Now I see why the Omni King gets his refreshments here.” the male blue Guest uttered in surprise, and those words seemingly scared the two cat beings into behaving nicely.

**Back with Ryu – at the counter -**

“So, you are not a magic user?” the blond woman asked.

“From what I gathered, the Bar itself is Magical...Or at the very least its door is, I am just its _owner_.” the young man answered.

“Sorry, but I am not convinced yet.” the lizardman answered as he stalked closer to the Bartender.

“Yes?”

“Just a second, I need to bite your head to confirm something. AH!” the giant man declared before lunging forward to swallow Ryu’s head whole.

“ **PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!** ” one of the guests said with an annoyed grunt, and causing the Lizardman’s body to stiffen like a statue, with both legs and arms rigidly glued together, and fall to the floor.

 _Sigh!_ “I am so sorry...” the woman sighed in dismay while lifting her paralyzed friend to make him stand like a statue.

“What was he trying to do?” Ryu asked, a bit unnerved.

“He has been cursed to look like this. There is... _Somebody_ inside his mouth, if he swallows somebody’s head that Guy can tell if the person is or isn’t the one that cursed him.”

“And he wants to see if I am the one that cursed him?”

“He just wants his life back, he has no memory of the attack itself, so he hopes he will be able to remember everything if the curse is lifted.”

“What will happen if I am not that guy?” Ryu asked.

“Nothing in your case. We may not trust magic users, but this looks like being just a bar...”

“Okay. He can bite me then.” Ryu offered with a kind smile.

“ _ **NO!**_ ” came in answer the unanimous roar of every other Guest.

“You can’t trust them! They just got here!”

“And as soon as they entered they attacked everybody in sight.”

“I trust them, just like I trust every Guest that enters my bar.” Ryu answered with a smile.

“ _Mmmh!_ ” a short girl wearing an old-style pink kimono and, curiously, a bamboo-made muzzle, humphed while studying the girl.

“Uh? What?” the tall woman asked while squatting down to meet the girl’s eyes.

“... _Mmh_!” the girl ‘ _answered’_ happily while tenderly caressing her cheek.

“Sorry for my sister, but I think she wants to say we can trust you two.” the young boy with her, wearing a green kimono, explained while patting the head of the girl, making her _purr_ happily.

“Thank you.” the woman answered with a grateful smile.

“So I have to free him?” the Guest that paralyzed the Lizardman asked.

“Yes, please.”

“Oh! Fine! **Finite!** ” the bushy-haired girl huffed annoyed, but did as asked.

“Goddamnit! Magic doesn’t work on me!” the Lizardman growled as soon as he got free.

“It is possible that Magic from a different world does still work on you.” Ryu tried guessing.

“Other worlds?”

“My Door connects to multiple worlds, plural.” he explained.

“Multiple worlds...That would be more on the range of Devils then.” the girl said, slowly, making her companion shiver a little.

“So...Uhm...Can I?” the Lizardman asked.

“Go ahead, just be gentle, please.” Ryu said with a nod.

“Stay still then...” the Lizardman muttered while he slowly and carefully unhinged his jaw to catch Ryu’s face inside his mouth.

“...”

“...”

“You do know that if your friend bites down you both won’t leave this place in one piece, right?” the skinny purple cat Guest warned her with a dark tone.

“Don’t worry, I am aware of that.” the woman answered with a sigh, just in time for her friend to let go of the Bartender.

“So? What did he say?!” he asked.

“ _You are not him_. Sorry if I ask, but what would have happened if he said it was me?” Ryu answered.

“One way to break a curse is to kill the Magic User that did cast it, unless they want to remove it themselves.” the woman answered.

“So you would have killed me?” Ryu asked.

“ONLY IF YOU DID NOT WANT TO GET IT OFF YOURSELF!” the Lizardman answered rapidly as both could tell everybody in there was already ready for battle.

“Good thing it was not me then.” Ryu declared.

“Well...Yeah.”

“Is there anything I can give you to drink?” he asked.

“Uh?!”

“AH! We are still in a bar!” the woman said once realized where they were.

“Ca-Can you give us a moment to decide?”

“Of course! Feel free to take a seat, when you are ready I will be happy to bring you whatever drink you desire.”

“Thanks.”

While the two new Guests took a small table in a more isolated corner, Ryuu focused on a couple of new arrivals that had just entered the bar and took a seat at the counter.

“So, _uhm_ , What will you take?” the woman asked with a whisper.

“The truth, for starters.” the other replied, huffing.

“Things are complicated.”

“Then make them easy, _unf_!”

“Don’t be unreasonable!”

**Not too far away -**

“They are getting quite noisy,” a guest muttered.

“I’ll talk to them,” Ryu answered.

Once neared the table, the two new arrivals seemed to understand what was happening and immediately lowered their voices.

“We were being a bother, isn’t it?” the woman asked with a sigh.

“Is no problem, miss, I was just checking if you two were okay.” the Bartender answered.

“Y-Yeah, no problems. We still don’t know what to take though…” the Lizardman answered.

“If you are still unsure, then I would like to propose you a drink myself, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh! S-Sure!”

“Give me a minute then.” the Bartender answered with a small bow before returning to his counter.

“ **...”**

“...Hey?” the Lizardman asked, unease.

“Yes?”

“Why everybody is silent now?” he asked.

“I-I don’t know!”

“Story time!” they heard a Guest ( _a Pink pony of all things!_ ) whisper with a happy squeal, making Ryu release a tiny chuckle.

“It’s an old story of this world this one. In the year 1946, in a bar of Hollywood Sunset Blvd they were overstocked on ginger beer, something that gave their Bartender quite the headache.” Ryu said while taking-out an unmarked bottle of some drink that looked home-made.

“Then came a salesman, who went to America ( _Another continent far away_ ) in hopes of selling a new Brand of Vodka, but was having trouble meeting quota.” he then said, this time taking out a bottle of _**Smir**_ _ **n**_ _ **off**_ Vodka.

“And the last person who came to the bar was a woman who owned a large number of copper mugs, but did not know what to do with them.” he finally said taking-out two shiny mugs made of copper, shined to perfection.

“That sounds like quite a mess.” the woman muttered, unsure.

“How do you even end with unused copper mugs up to your head?” the Lizardman added, scratching the ridges of his head in confusion.

“Huhuhu! Life can be quite strange, dear Guests. What the three had in common was _Stubbornness_ : not one of them wanted to admit defeat, and in the end the three of them worked together, and thus a new cocktail was born: _**Moscow Mule**_. _Moscow_ as the capital of the country of _Russia_ , and _Mule_ like the animal...Usually used as synonymous of being overly-stubborn.” Ryu answered.

_** ( Moscow Mule:  ** Vodka (45 ml), Ginger Beer (80 to 90 ml) and Lime Juice (15 ml)  no shaking, just a little stir . Some add Carbonated water  or simple syrup too, even if it does not belong to the original recipe, in theory. Technically best if served in copper mugs...) _

“Uh? A-ARE YOU CALLING US MULES?!” The Lizardman shrieked with wide eyes.

“Not at all! You two just reminded me of three young Guests I met while working in another bar, they too were very stubborn and hated to either admit being wrong, or lowering their heads. I am not going to force myself into your discussion, but me and the others can tell that you both are unwilling to either admit being wrong or give the other the chance of explaining.

Stubbornness can be a great driving force to get results, meaning that one does not stop in the face of adversity...But it can also hold you back by pulling on your Pride. I don’t pretend to know what happened between you two, but was it really that bad to turn you two into bitter enemies?” the Bartender asked while delivering the mugs.

“B-Bitter enemies is a bit extreme.” the Lizardman muttered while looking elsewhere and dropping back on his seat.

“We were just arguing a little.” the woman added, lamely.

“Then I must apologize for misunderstanding. Please call me if you want a refill or you wish to try another drink.”

“N-No problem, no problem!” the Lizardman waved him off while trying to play it cool, while also trying the drink.

“...Woo! Nice!”

“I can feel the spiciness of the ginger!...It’s also a very mature taste…” The woman admitted impressed.

“Mature...Like we were not being? How many damn layers do you put in your insults?!”

“I swear there was no intention of insulting you!” Ryu answered immediately with a nervous smile.

“How do you turn ginger into a drink?” the blond woman asked, curious.

“Oh! Water, mashed ginger, sugar, and egg white. Let it sit for a week and it’ll be finished. I prefer preparing ginger beer myself instead of buying it, as a way to try keeping the original Moscow Mule flavor.”

“All that work for a drink? Why?” the Lizardman asked.

“Bartenders won’t lose in terms of stubbornness, even against mules.” Ryu answered, chuckling amicably before returning behind his counter.

“All that work to make it taste like the original,”

“He is stubborn, he admitted it. And we are too.”

“...Yeah.”

“…”

“...Hey, what were you trying to tell me? Before his door popped-up.” 

“The truth.” she answered.

“Wanna try again?”

“You will listen?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Very well, it all began...”

**Present day -**

“And this is how we first came here! Ah! Good times.” the Lizardman finished saying with a wide smile.

“That was barely a month ago.” the blond woman added, snorting.

“It’s still a great story, dammit!”

“Happy to know this place accepts everybody, it makes me feel a bit safer here...” the new Guest admitted with an elated sigh, and behind her the door opened again to let a group of young teens in.

“WHOA! So this is the bar?!” the bubblegum-pink-skinned girl of the group exclaimed in wonder.

“Y-yes, just please, don’t scream.” the boy guiding the other five begged in embarrassment.

“Yes, we cannot ruin the atmosphere.” the tall boy with rectangular glasses answered speaking with a low voice.

“HOY! If it isn’t our little superhero **Almond Green**!” a man wearing a gold and red robotic armor welcomed the group from one of the tables as he opened the front of his helmet to drink.

“Be nice,” the guy sitting next to the man, and sporting a strange circular shield strapped to his back, chided him.

“Good evening...” the boy answered, embarrassed.

“ **Almond Green**?” one of the girls asked.

“L-Like I told you, we use the cocktails names with each other here, i-in place of names.”

“Most curious, _ribbit._ ” the girl with toad-like features answered, amused.

“So? Which one of them is the girl you have to hots for?” another Guest, this one a man with white hair wearing a red leather coat asked, making his drinking buddy (A young man with a robotic arm) face-palm.

“This one.” the frog girl answered while pointing at the brunette next to her.

“OH, GOD!” _**Almond Green**_ shrieked in horror.

“The girl he has the hots for!? _Kyyaaah_!”

“Yep! That would be her, even if somehow she never noticed before now.” the bubblegum-pink girl answered, smirking, and pointing at her friend now floating up to the ceiling.

“She had to discover it, sooner or later!”

“Do not justify yourself, you moron.” the young man with the robotic arm answered.

“I am so very sorry for the noise, my friends do not mean disrespect!” the young man with square glasses said immediately.

“No harm done, please take a seat and I will immediately get to you for your order,”

“Even non-alcoholic?”

“Of course!”

Watching the group of teens slowly take their seats once helped their friend descend from the ceiling, Ryu gave an amused chuckle at the exuberance of youth to then return mixing drinks for his beloved guests.

Thus another Saturday night in the ‘ _Eden Cat Bar’_ started as more and more Guests from “The Other Side” entered one after another.

* * *

**Episode 2 – A different kind of Bar -**

**Eden Cat Bar – Saturday – Sunset -**

Ryu was extremely nervous, utterly terrorized even, and it was only thanks to his innate talent as a Bartender that said horror was not showing on his face.

“You okay?” the man sitting in front of him asked, curious, as usual catching the smallest change in everything in front of him, cocktail or human alike.

As expected from one of the Top Bartenders of Japan, _Ryuichi_ _Kuzuhara,_ a living legend also known as _**MISTER PERFECT**_.

“Uh? Of course!” Ryu answered while giving the finishing touches to the _Vesper Martini_ the man had ordered.

( _ **Vesper Martini, made famous by James Bond: Gin, Vodka and Lillet Blanc**_.)

“You are not fooling me, Ryu.” the man answered, unfazed, and nailing the young man with an intense stare from above his squared glasses while trying the drink.

“...Your abilities improved again. Good.” he then declared once given a taste to the cocktail.

“Thank you.”

“Is he not okay? He doesn’t look different from usual.” Miwa, the only girl of the group of old acquaintances filling the front of the counter, asked unsure.

“A good Bartender never lets his problem slip-out. Customers come to pour their grievances out, not to take in ours!” Saito, the owner of the Bar ‘ _Saito_ _’_ where Ryu had worked in for a while, answered.

At both sides of the man sat two guys, Ryu’s old colleagues at _Saito_ , that nodded emphatically at his words.

“But he is between friends! If something bothers him he can tell us!” the young girl, just-recently nominated CEO of her family’s business at her grandfather’s death, said in scandal.

“He is still behind the counter.” _Mister Perfect_ answered, coldly.

“Oh, shut up!” she hissed back, making the other Bartenders in the room look at her in horror, and almost making Kuzuhara himself choke on his drink, luckily nobody noticed though.

“There is nothing to worry about.” Ryu said with a placating tone, even if a tiny voice inside his head kept creaming that he REALLY should hurry-up and make them leave before the hour struck and the Door connected to the Other S-

_CLICK!_

“What was that?” Saito asked in confusion and stealing a glance to the entrance door of the Bar.

“ _SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!_ ”

The same voice inside Ryu’s head shrieked in hysteria as he _felt_ the door connecting to the Other Side, making him now fearing his friends’ reaction at his side activities, luckily beside them the local was empty.

**Other Side – Small mansion in the countryside -**

All things considered, beside his involvement with a crazed woman and her pet dragons, a war and massacres happening left and right, life was still good for the very short man entering his new home.

He did not really care that he was the last remaining  member of his family, he had paid his due as per  his  Family’s Motto and now owed nothing to nobody, and even then,  now that those frozen bastards were finally dead for good and the world’s most uncomfortable pointy throne was destroyed, things will HOPEFULLY get back to normal  by themselves without him helping along .

“To be fair...A lot of powerful families died-out, so things won’t be nice for a while. Not that I believe the Targaryen will be missed, the Starks went damn close too! Seven permitting, people will understand that if somebody goes into Exile, they don’t have to bother him to rebuild everything!” the man uttered as he studied the wide array of expensive wine bottles in the mansion’s cellar his father ( _May the flames of the Underworld forever singe his balls)_ secretly collected through the years.

“Good thing you bought this little hideout of yours! Now I will have plenty of time to enjoy exile in the privacy of a nice cozy mansion in the sun! Thank you, daddy!” the short man said with a sarcastic tone while throwing yet another painting of his father into a pile right outside the mansion entrance, a pile of stuff he will then burn under the moonlight that same night.

_Thunk!_

“Oh! And who you may be? Adding yourself to my quaint little abode?” the man muttered while unsheathing a custom-made sword and carefully nearing the door that just popped-out into existence into an empty section of the wall right under his eyes.

He may not be a giant, or even as tall as a normal man, but he was not about to go down without a fight.

“ _Eden Cat_. Quite the nice name, for whatever this is.” he muttered while turning the handle and opening the door that ideally connected right to the outside…

And finding instead a bar full of people in front of his eyes.

“Good evening.” Ryu, elated that the first Guest to enter was still human, welcomed with a small smile.

“Good evening to you too, kiddo. Since when Bars come to the customers? Not that I mind as it makes things easier, but you have to excuse me if I am not used to this novelty!” the short man said, putting away the sword to climb on a stool.

“Very curious decor too. This must be pretty a classy place, there is glass everywhere!” he then admitted, impressed.

“I was going for simplicity, truth be told.” Ryu admitted.

His friends instead were at loss for words, while the man was speaking Japanese, or so they thought, they still felt something was _wrong_ in the air, that not considering the way the guy dressed: he looked like somebody out of a western Medieval Fair.

“It’s very nice, don’t worry. But I am not here to chat, not until I am sufficiently drunk, at least. I would normally ask for some local wine, but I feel like trying something new. Surprise me with your own collection, kid.” the short man said with a friendly, yet challenging tone.

“I felt a burst of hot wind when you entered, I take it is particularly hot on your side?” Ryu asked while choosing a bottle of red wine and a bottle of white wine.

“On your side?” Saito muttered unsure.

“I don’t know.” Miwa answered.

“There was sunlight beyond that door.” Kuzuhara said with his voice turning even plainer than normal.

“S-S-Sunlight? I-Isn’t it midnight?” one of the guys from _Saito_ said, unsure.

“Yep! Awfully hot, you have it good that here is so pleasantly chilly, how far underground are we?” the new Guest said with an exaggerated sigh.

“We are not underground, my bar is just a bit ‘ _Different’_ , dear Guest.” Ryu said, serving him a nice glass of red wine just as the two Pods entered the door in that exact moment.

“W-W-What are those?!” Miwa shrieked.

“HOY! What are you playing at?” the Guest added with narrowed eyes.

“ **New Guests Detected.** ” Pod 1 said while hovering behind Ryu on his right side.

“ _ **Please have no Fear. This is a safe place**_ **. We exist to defend the Owner of this Bar.** ” Pod 2 added while moving behind the Bartender on his left side.

“Aah! Your guards.” the Guest said, relaxing just a fraction.

“Among other things. _**I**_ am the one taking care of Security here, sorry if we are late, our monthly check back home took longer than anticipated.” a new voice said sternly from the door as the long-haired Yohra unit walked in to stand in a corner of the room.

“Good Evening Miss 1A,” Ryu said with a sigh.

“Security? I can’t seem to find it unbelievable, considering that monstrosity of a sword you are swinging around, I doubt even dear old _Mountain_ could lift that, so you definitely keep the place safe.” the short man answered with a raised eyebrow and pointing at the BIG rectangular sword the woman had strapped to her back.

“Please forgive her manners,” the second Yohra Unit answered as she moved to stand next to Ryu, and the Bartender was glad the woman FINALLY wore a longer skirt with her attire.

“And you are?”

“The Waitress.” she answered.

“I like this place even more now!” the short man admitted with a hearty laugh, thing that earned him a glare from Miwa from the opposite side of the room.

_Dling! Dling!_

The small moment of levity died abruptly when a tall Wolf dressed in a school uniform walked in while accompanying a tiny female rabbit dressed in a white fluffy uniform.

“WHAT THE HELL?! SINCE WHEN WOLVES WEAR CLOTHES!?” the Guest said drawing again his sword.

“Eeek!”

“Haru, behind me.” the wolf said with a calm tone while taking a defensive stance.

“You must be a new Guest, yes?” he then said, shocking the others.

“Yes? And I am starting to find this place too strange for my tastes!”

“You saw nothing yet then, my tiny lil’ friend.” a Pirate-dressed Guest said as he too entered, sauntering towards the counter once walked past the guy with zero _F_ s given.

“Sour day, Captain?” Ryu asked while opening a rum bottle.

“Yes, they stole the _Black Pearl_.” he answered with a miserable expression.

“Again?” the Bartender asked, shocked.

“It’s the most beautiful ship of the sea, I can’t blame them.” he answered.

“You’ll get it back, you always do.”

“Sure thing!”

**With Ryu’s friends -**

“What is happening?” Saito asked.

“I have no idea.” Kuzuhara answered, for the first time in his life so out of his comfort zone even he was speechless.

_Dling!_

The bell on the door chimed again to let two tall Purple Cats walk in.

“Ryu! Two _**Peppermint Patties**_ , and make it snappy! This fatso is driving me nuts!” the skinny one ordered with a growl.

“You are being the insufferable one, you bastard!” the fat cat replied.

“My Lord, please calm down.” both blue-skinned guys right behind them chided them with a sigh.

“I will prepare them immediately.” Ryu answered while watching the four take a seat at a near table.

_Dling! Dling!_

“Good Evening, Ryu Darling! A _**Black Velvet**_ if you can! And the usual for my friends!” the white horse asked as soon as she got inside with her friends.

“Yes, Miss.”

More and more Guests arrived, each one stranger than the previous, until the place was packed full of people, but with absolute no noise, every table talking in hushed tones so to not create chaos.

“I-Is there any normal guy in here?” the short man finally asked once everybody settled down.

“We are, I believe.” Miwa answered, unsure.

“Sa-Sa-Saito-san...Fairies entered.”

“I know…” Saito answered, shocked.

“Fairies, tiny girls with butterfly wings.”

“I know!”

“Is that...Is that a Dragon with red hair and a spiked turtle shell?”

“It looks like so.”

“M-Maybe there is a Cosplay Convention nearby?” Miwa tried saying, hopefully latching to the tiny, TINY spark of normalcy she could give to the thing.

“Fairies.” Kazuhara muttered.

“YES, I SAW THE DAMN FAIRIES!” she snapped back in answer.

Every hope of apparent normalcy died when the last set of Guests entered the room.

“Hoy! Ryu! I brought some friends, I hope you don’t mind!” the blond man with extremely curvy eyelashes said with a wide smile as he entered the place followed by a group of people...One of which a walking, talking _skeleton_.

“So this is your secret place? _Yohohohoho!_ It’s very nice!” the skeleton said with an amused laugh.

“As long as the booze is good.” the green-haired swordsman next to him added with a grunt.

“YOU BEHAVE YOURSELF, MOSS-HEAD!” the blond chef roared back in answer.

“Please take a seat, I will be to you in an instant.” the Waitress said with a gentle, if a bit plain, tone.

“As you wish, 2B-Chan!” the blond man said, immediately switching gear to act love-struck and follow the Yohra Unit to the remaining free table like a lost puppy.

“What is happening here?” Miwa asked.

“Aah! New Guests, eh? Just like the small guy.” a man with broad shoulders said, nearing the table with a friendly smile.

“W-We are Ryu’s friends.” the woman said.

“And colleagues.” Saito added.

“I guess he never told you about his side activities?” the woman that joined the broad-shouldered man said with a sympathetic smile.

“Side activities?”

“I am Chris, and this is my sister Claire. We, shall we say, come from another world.” the young man said.

“…”

“…”

“What?” Miwa asked with a small voice.

“Every seven days, the door to the _Eden Car Bar_ appears in other worlds to let costumers in for a drink or two. As you can see, that means not just _Humans_ get in: But also Spirits, Fairies, Dragons, Pirates, Undead, Unicorns, Demons, Angels, Spiders-”

“SPIDERS?!”

“Yep! And also Wizards, Espers, God-like beings and much, much more. They all come here for Ryu’s drinks and stories.” Claire said.

“And they pay?” one of the guys from _Saito_ asked.

“They pay in gold and silver.” Chris answered with a shrug, causing them to splutter in disbelief.

“AH! I knew it! Gold IS the language everybody talks!” the short man, that was clearly eavesdropping, said with a chuckle.

“That and the Bar itself removes the Language Barrier.” Claire answered.

“Really?” Kuzuhara asked.

“You are speaking English from our point of view.” Claire answered.

“Japanese…” Miwa muttered.

“Westeros dialect for me.” the short man added.

“Equestrian!”

“Norse.”

“Ye Olde English!”

“Whiterun Dialect.”

“Skellige.”

“East Blue dialect,”

“Mushroom Kingdom dialect.”

“You talk like every other guy from _The Hole_ for me.”

“Yeah, it does work wonders.” Chris commented as every guest suggested what language they were hearing the others talk in.

“Why Ryu never told us?” Miwa asked, looking hurt.

“Is kind of hard to work into a conversation that your bar has a magical portal to other worlds and serves strange beings.” Ryu admitted with a guilty smile.

“I can imagine. But, listen…” the short man said.

“Yes?”

“It’s ever since these people arrived that I watched you mix stuff of every kind in different glasses. What the Hell is that?”

“Oh! It’s called _Mixology_ , it basically is the Art of mixing together two or more different kid of liquors and other ingredients to create a specific drink with a new taste. In itself the new drink is called a _Cocktail_ , but each recipe then takes a different name.” Ryu answered, trying to make it as much simple as he could.

“Really? Mixing different liquors together? Now I am curious! Give me one of those, please.” the Guest answered, smirking.

“Of course! I will prepare one wine-based since Sir seems to be a wine lover and expert.”

“Expert, let’s say I can enjoy a couple glasses properly.” the other answered, chuckling.

“I’ll prepare a cocktail known as _Diamond Claret Cup_ then, it is one of the few times red and white wine are mixed together.”

“Oh! I want one too!” Miwa said from the sidelines.

“Of course.” Ryu answered with a nod.

“ _ **Diamond Claret Cup**_ **: Created by the Bartender John Codd; A blend of raspberry brandy, Lemon Juice, Gum Syrup, Grenadine and Red Wine. Topped with a sparkling white wine”** Pod 1 explained.

__

_( **Diamond Claret Cup:** 1 OZ **St. George Raspberry Brandy,** 1 OZ **Red Wine,** ¾ OZ **Gum Syrup,** 1/4 OZ **Grenadine,** ½ OZ **Sparkling Wine and garnish with** Mint Sprig **.** )_

“Sounds complicated.” the short man said while watching Ryu mix all that to then pour it into a tall glass topped by an emerald-green mint leaf.

“It always does, on paper, but if one knows what to do, it’s all a matter of respecting the ratios.” Ryu answered, presenting a glass personally to him while the Waitress delivered one to Miwa.

“How can you see while blindfold?”

“I just can.” she replied.

“Ohohoh! This tastes nice! A nice mouthful of taste and there is even ice inside! Now this is some Magic I can get behind! Keep this one coming, I think I found my favourite drink! Hahaha!”

“Of course, Sir.”

“Should we help him?”

“That would be an insult to his job as a Bartender.” Kuzuhara answered while shaking his head.

“His waitress seems to have things under control too.” Saito added while watching the blindfolded woman dash back and forth to deliver drinks and collect empty glasses with zero effort no matter her covered eyes, she was even doing all that without bothering the various Guests.

**Later that day – back to the isolated mansion - Another world -**

“Now, that was an interesting discovery.” he declared once seen the door disappear.

“Once every seven days, now I get it why the old fool never told a soul about this place!” he then said with an amused laugh and still pleased by the lingering taste of the _Claret Cup_ still in his mouth.

“It’s going to be hard to stick with normal wine for the other six days, though...Maybe I should get somebody to learn mixing stuff here too. I mean, I have already took a piss from the highest wall this world has to offer, may as well be the first to introduce _Mixology_ here as well! It would be something different to do to kill some time, at least.”

**In the Bar -**

“Ryu, we really need to go.” Miwa said.

“It’s okay, just open the door, it will take you out in our world. It always bring people back, not only in.” Ryu answered.

“Yeah, I saw the scenery switch between forests, ships, fortresses, deserts and everything in between...Will you be fine?” she asked back, worried.

“I will, I have been doing this ever since I opened my bar. I trust my Guests to be nice.” he answered.

“We’ll come again, on Saturday too.”

“You sure?”

“A friendly face never hurts,” Kuzuhara answered with a small smile.

“You indeed are the closest to become the _**God’s Glass**_ , your reach has truly enlarged to frightening levels, use this chance to improve beyond every possible level, this is a One-of-a-Kind chance. Do not waste it.” _**Mister Perfect**_ said while opening the door and finding himself in the same roads he found when they got to the bar.

“Of course.”

“Be good, Ryu! You are serving lots of strange people, you can do it!” Saito added as he and the others too left.

“Call if you need help, okay?” Miwa said.

“Of course, thank you.” Ryu answered, smiling happily at their accepting his small secret.

_Click!_

“They are good friends, you are one lucky man!” a near Guest said with a kind smile.

“I know I am, Miss Minerva.”

_Dling! Dling!_

Unfortunately, there was little time to be reminiscing about friendship and good feelings, Guests kept coming and going, and a good Bartender would not leave their Guests waiting.

He was Ryu Sasakura, the _**God’s Glass**_ , he was not about to disappoint whoever entered his Bar.

**Extra – Special Guests? Really? -**

Ryu’s Friends were once again visiting the bar on Saturday, by now slowly getting used to the various strange new Customers entering the place.

“I still find incredible that you serve other worlds.” Miwa said with a sigh.

“It took a while to get used to it, but I like it,” Ryu answered, smiling.

“I know you well enough to believe that. I just wish you told me soon-HOLY SHIT!” the girl shrieked once seen the next set of Guests entering the bar.

“Uh?”

“YOU ARE _DEKU_! OH, MY GOD!” Miwa said while pretty much assaulting the new Guest as soon as he entered.

“Y-Yes?” the boy said.

“You...YOU ARE REAL!” she squealed again.

“I-I guess so?”

“An Autograph? A Selfie? Please! Please! Please! I LOVE YOU!” she begged.

“OKAY! OKAY! J-Just calm down, please!”

“Why is she acting like that?” Ryu asked, confused by the woman fan-girlish attitude.

“You never read _Shounen Jump_?” Saito asked, just as shocked.

“No, never had the time.” Ryu admitted with a shrug.

“Well, she apparently does.” Saito said with a mysterious smile.

“Okay?”

“You would be surprised too if your childhood Hero entered the room and...And...And…” Saito tried saying with a friendly tone before his eyes flew wide open.

“Yes?” the newly-arrived Guest asked, confused.

In answer Saito just got up to walk to the man and shakily present his hand.

“Uzumaki-san?” he said with a shaken voice.

“Yes? What can I do for you?” the blond man asked while shaking the Bartender’s hand.

“Just...I just wish to thank you, you inspired me to never give up my dream to become a Bartender. You taught me that if one’s Will never falters they can achieve miracles.”

“Oh! Glad to be of help then!” the Guest answered with a wide smile.

“Can I offer you something?”

“Only if I can then offer you one back!”

“I-I would be honored, Sir.” Saito answered.

“Don’t be so formal!”

“A childhood Hero of his?” Ryu asked, even more confused.

“Ryu...That guy is a _Legend_...”one of his old colleagues said in awe.

“Really?”

“How can you be so _ignorant_ in anything not Bartendering-related?!”

“I am sorry?” he tried answering.

“THAT’S TORIKO!” one of the guys was heard squealing HARD just a second later.

“I wasn’t aware my Guests were famous…” Ryu muttered to himself, unsure.

“Just ignore them and focus on working.” 1A said while patting his back.

“Maybe I should.” the poor Bartender answered with a sigh.

_**A Little Game: Are you able to tell who are the guests that appeared in this Chapter? (Besides the ones openly named) Tell me in the reviews!** _

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love is Love, no matter the form it takes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically this story is listed as "Completed" but this because by being a "Slice of Life" it has the potential to be infinite.  
> I will update it whenever inspiration for a new "Episode" strikes me.
> 
> A small fusion of the manga “Bartender” and “Western Restaurant to Another World”, only with a way WIDER pool of Customers.
> 
> I wanted to try a “Slice of Life” Story for once, and in order to do so, the chapters had to be shorter still, more than usual, and to make up for it, I decided to have 2 episodes per chapter (2000 to 3000 words each) so to still give each chapter a proper length.
> 
> I am no Master Brewer/Bartender, I am taking both descriptions/reaction from the original “Bartender” Manga and/or looking on the internet for recipes/history behind the various liqueurs/cocktails that will appear here.
> 
> Should you see characters from other franchises, keep in mind this: I am trying to go a bit deeper into their humanity, beyond their ‘idolized’ character, technically they ARE living beings, they too have down times, sorrow and sadness, think outside your “shonen” for once.
> 
> I wish you the best of days.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing of all this, all rights reserved to the original owners. Please support the official releases.

_**A Little Game: Are you able to tell who are the guests that appeared in this Chapter? Tell me in the reviews!** _

**Isekai Eden Cat Chapter 5.**

**Episode 1: Matters of Heart.**

**Clinic -**

There was the usual come and going of patients coming to see the resident doctor to get fixed-up, uncaring that he was human and them monsters.

“Thank you, doctor!” the young Harpy said with a happy smile and a flutter of her red wings.

“Think nothing of it! I am happy to see your wing recovered fully!” the young man answered, smiling just as wide.

“Hihihi! All thanks to you!” the harpy answered, using the excuse to hug the human super tight.

“A-Ah! Please, there is no need for that!” he answered, unsure.

“There is! There is!”

“If the Doctor said there is no need, it means there isn’t!” the Nurse and personal assistant of the Doctor, a snake-woman with pink scales and pale-pink hair, declared in annoyance as she used her snake-like body to forcefully pry the Harpy off and kind-of-forcefully put her back on the examination bed.

“ _Umpf!_ Always the rude one!” the Harpy said, annoyed.

“I am not being rude! I am just setting boundaries to keep this place professional!” the snake woman answered, sniffling haughtily.

“Please calm down, there is no need to argue!” the human Doctor pleaded with a placating tone.

“Ara-Ara, _Sensei!_ I need your help with a small project of mine, can you help me?” it was in that moment that a spider-woman with silky long black hair and a revealing outfit showing-off her abundant chest peeked inside the room.

“Ah! Arahnia! I’ll be there in a moment!” the Doctor answered, immediately.

“Ah! Nii-chan! Let’s go play!” the same instant, a tiny dragon girl with blue scales peeked from the open window to address the Human.

“...I am kind of busy now, I am sorry…” he answered, uncertain.

“Are you really, _Sensei?_ Or do you hate Lady Skadi?!” the dragon girl’s personal bodyguard, an undead woman covered in stitches, hissed in anger as she appeared behind the dragon girl in an instant just to glare at him.

“You…” the snake woman hissed.

“ _Sensei!_ ” yelled the spider woman.

“ _Sensei_!” chorused the Harpy.

“Nii-chan!” added the dragon girl.

“This is a clinic…” the Nurse growled with blazing eyes.

“SENSEI! Let’s go have some fun in town!” it was then that a tall centaur girl barged in, finally making the snake girl snap.

“ _ **THIS IS A CLINIC! CUT IT OUT AND ACT WITH SOME DECENCY!”**_ she roared loud enough to rattle the windows, but unfortunately, that just caused more Chaos to descend into the small room.

**Later that night -**

_Sigh!_ “Finally this day is over…” the snake girl muttered, watching the human doctor rapidly fall asleep in his bed from the tiny slit of open door he had left.

“Every day those girls come with their absurd demands to try and win him over, and he keeps seconding them so to not act rude...I-I can’t stand it!” the poor Nurse said while moving towards their clinic small kitchenette.

“I know I should not drink at this hour, but if I don’t do it I know I will just snap again!” she then declared with a sigh of self-deprecation.

_THUNK!_

“Uhu?!” she gasped in shock as she saw with the corner of her eye a door, of all things, literally _‘plop-out’_ into being on an empty section of the wall, right next to one of their medicine cabinets.

It was a strange door with a simple and unassuming oval bronze plaque with **‘** _ **Eden Cat.’**_ written on it in an elegant font and decorated by the silhouette of a black cat lazily lying on top of the letters, the thing looked unremarkable, just well-polished and smooth reddish wood and a bronze knob shined like a mirror.

“What is this? Why is it here?” the snake girl muttered, uncertain, studying the thing with narrowed eyes as if waiting for anything dangerous to spring out of it…

“…”

After several minutes of silent waiting, the Nurse tentatively used her long snake tail to open the thing, making it swung forward not on the street outside, but towards a new room she knew was not supposed to be there.

_Dling! Dling!_

The tiny bell hidden inside that new room chimed with a happy-sounding tune drawing the attention of the owner behind the counter.

“Ah! A new Guest! Good evening!” Ryu Sasakura, also known as _**‘Gods’ Glass’,**_ said with a bow while welcoming the new arrival.

“H-H-How?!” the Snake-girl said in amazement, actually peeking out of the window to see a smooth wall outside in the corresponding area where the door stood.

“You must be a new, please do come in, we will explain.” the Yohra Unit acting as a _Bouncer_ said, unimpressed, and jabbing a thumb towards the inside of the Bar.

“A bar appeared...L-Like this?” the Nurse muttered as she slowly, carefully entered the place.

What she found inside was a dimly-lit bar, elegant and somber, its shadows actually giving it a mysterious air as the few sources of light were the tiny silver lanterns in the middle of the few tables on the left side and a tiny chandelier on the ceiling, that too modest and unobtrusive.

On the right side of the bar stood an extremely long counter in waxed dark wood, and behind it, simply every single bottle of alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages in existence, held in display like treasures in the faint light of the room, and on the very top of the giant window, an ice sculpture of a cat peacefully asleep.

“What place is this?” she asked, carefully sitting on a stool in a way that made sure her long snake body won’t take too much space for the other patrons present.

“Ah! Isn’t that a nice story! Let me tell you that you will find it hard to believe! And I saw undead made of ice and dragons walking the earth back in my world!” a very short man nearby answered with a loud chuckle.

 _Growl_! “Yeah, it’s strange even for me! That fool Kamek is still trying to understand how this works himself!” another Guest, a strange buff dragon-like being with a spiked turtle shell, added, scoffing.

“Is it really that strange? How?” the Snake girl asked.

“It’s quite simple, objectively, dear Guest.” Ryu said, smiling gently.

“Once every seven days, my door connects to other worlds, creating copies of itself in randomly-selected locations. We accept payment in silver and gold since in my world the normal currency is different from the guests’ original world. Should you not have Gold or Silver on your person right now, you can either leave it on tab or use a _Pending Note_ of equivalent value, as to say, enough money for a drink another Guest left behind for any new one caught unprepared by the Bar’s appearance, and pay the following ones by yourself next time, should you choose to return here again.”

“Another world? I am in another world?!”

“You’ll get used to it... _IF_ you become a Regular, that is.” the man dressed like a modern-day Ninja sitting at the table right behind the Nurse answered with a shrug, making the young girl with short light-purple hair ( _and wearing a butterfly-themed kunoichi outfit_ ) sitting with him chuckle amused.

“Just do not think too much into it, young miss. What can I give you?” Ryu asked.

“….I-I wouldn’t mind some wine.” the Snake-girl answered, sighing.

“Of course, miss.” the Bartender answered, obediently filling a glass for her to then focus on other orders.

**Some time later -**

_Shik! Shik! Shik!_

The shaker’s subtle noise echoed faintly in the bar while Ryu prepared the new order for one of his Guests.

“...And Here I am, wondering what went wrong…” said Guest said with a moan while leaning a bit on the counter.

“Were things really that bad?” Ryu asked.

“I...I think so? I mean, I just could not accept a young man usurping me! I get that new generations have all the right to take over...B-But I just wanted to give just a bit more, not just continue the cliché of ‘ _ **Youngsters are useless while Older**_ _ **Generations**_ _ **are the best**_ ”...But maybe I...Maybe I said things I shouldn’t in my moment of blind anger. I saw the way he looked at me after I was done ranting, that and the hateful glares of the other students. I fear I not only alienated those kids, but maybe I even made several of them swear off Magic as a whole...M-M-Maybe I ruined an entire generation of Warlocks!” the old man said, looking ready to cry.

“Old and New are equally important. Tradition and innovation can work together, if one wants.” Ryu answered while taking out a liquor bottle shining like a jewel even in the bar’s low light thanks to its glass being faceted to mimic a turtle shell.

“Uh?”

“Old Generations are stubbornly clutching to their ways, because they know they have been the first to walk the path newer Generations are now walking on, thus leaving the road ahead already paved for who will come after them in a way that makes sure they will find less bumps…” Ryu said, while opening the bottle.

“And New Generations are stubbornly defending their own ideals, knowing that they can actually prolong the road into new directions if given the occasion, thus seeing new possible _Branches_ older generations may have not noticed for a reason or another.”

“Both are right, and both are wrong; because _Tradition_ with no _Innovation_ may leave us chained-down by inherited fears that are no longer valid, and _Innovation_ without _Tradition_ ( _ **As in ‘**_ _Experience’)_ may take us to paths leading nowhere just to appease a desire of rebellion. It all depends on both sides knowing when to let go and accept the other side’s ideas. Look at this bottle, please.” Ryu said while pointing at the bottle labeled ‘ _ **Suntory**_ ’.

“Yes?”

“It’s a story of my world. In Taisho 12 ( _1923_ ), Kotobukiya, now _Suntory_ , owner and Leader Torii Shinjirou recruited Masataka Taketsuru, a man that learned to make scotch in England, a different land from this one, and thanks to him the first Malt Whiskey distillery of Japan was built in Yamazaki, Kyoto.”

“The first...So it was a novelty?”

“Exactly, something new, something ‘ _Modern’_ , thus _Different_.”

“Like what my student offered...A new way to produce Potions…”

“Very similar. However, Japanese people could not accept the first domestic Whiskey ‘ _ **Shirofuda’**_. Taketsuru wanted to recreate the smokey fragrance of peat that can be found in authentic scotch while using local ingredients, but this was a flavor that Japanese people have never experienced before.”

“...It was not a taste of _Tradition…”_ the old man muttered, looking depressed.

“Later Masataka started his own distillery, while Torii decided to create a Whiskey that suited the tastes of the Japanese people. He accepted the _Novelty_ , but tried it to adapt to _Tradition_. Nowadays the one produced by Masataka is well appreciated by the younger drinkers curious about different tastes, while the more ‘ _Old Fashioned’_ drinkers, shall we say, the older generations, prefer a more traditional flavor, like the one offered by products similar to Torii’s. Which one do you think is better?” Ryu asked.

“Both...Neither...It depends! What’s important is the feeling behind it. I can list you over one-hundred uses for Mandrake’s roots, but then my students would whip-out sixty more I would have never thought about! I think...I think I see what went wrong.” the old man said while downing the glass in one gulp.

“I am glad to hear it, Sir.” Ryu answered.

“I need to check his notes, I may have been hasty in dismissing everything, but if only half what he promised will be the results is true...Once _Polished_ by a more experienced Alchemist that boy will get in the history books as a damn innovator, and I’ll be damned if I will let him squander his gift! Here’s the money! And next time I want the a bottle of that Sundory liquor to take home.”

“I-I can’t really-”

“I am not taking NO for an answer, youngster! Bwahahahahaha!” the man interrupted him before slamming the door closed on the notes of his thunderous laugh.

_SLAM!_

“…” Ryu just sighed in dismay and simply took away the glass to wash it.

“I am sorry…” The Nurse tried saying.

“Yes?”

“I...I couldn’t help but see you help few people with their problems…”

“Ah! I am sorry about that, that seems to happen more often than not, and as a Bartender, I cannot in good conscience not offer a friendly ear when asked. My apologies if it ruined your stay.” Ryu offered, voice kind and calm while he bowed slightly towards her.

“Don’t be sorry, Ryu-chan! That is always the highlights of the day! That and Kiryu-chan coming here as well!” the strange Guest wearing an eye-patch and a bright yellow jacket said from the sidelines.

“No, no. Don’t worry. In a sense, you are doing a job similar to mine. I work in a clinic that heals people’s bodies, you are a Bartender that heals people’s Souls...So maybe you can help me.” the snake-girl said.

“Something wrong?”

“…”

“...I...I love the Doctor...I love him! But every time I try telling him I get tongue-tied...I am scared!” she admitted.

“What are you afraid of, Miss?”

“We used to go to the same academy, and once graduated I immediately moved to work with him in his clinic, thinking that I could have plenty of chances to confess, but there have been ‘ _Issues’_ between me and his family. And now that I decided to erase that issue...There are too many other girls pining after him! Every day there is one or more _Rivals_ bursting in to try woo him! I know he just acts kindly with them because that’s how he is, but it hurts still! I don’t want to lose him!” it was clear that the snake woman had drunk a tiny bit too much, but that had also helped breaking the dam of her heart.

“...Were you asked to kill somebody of his family?” Ryu asked suddenly.

“E-Eh!? Ho-How do you know?!” she asked.

“A Bartender has to be observant of his Guests attitude and necessities. Ever since I started serving people from other worlds I learned to tell when one was a ‘ _Warrior’_ or not. Things like body language, posture, what they look for whenever they enter an unknown place like a room hidden by a door that appears out of nowhere…” Ryu explained.

“You checked the entrance, who was inside and their numbers and possible concealed weapons. You gauged their ‘ _Threat Level’_ and relaxed only when certain nobody was an immediate danger to you unless a fight started.”

“ **Correct. The New Guest’s eyes lingered on the Yohra Units for 2,347 seconds longer than any other Guest present.** _”_ Pod 1 said from behind Ryu’s left side.

“ ** _Addendum:_ _The_ _New Guest’s tail is poised to enact a defensive maneuver to facilitate her escape, with a 73% chance of starting by throwing the two stools next to her to the closest threat_**.” Pod 2 added.

“And...And you let me in all the same?” she asked, her snake body finally relaxing for real.

“A Guest may have the entire world as their Enemy, but a Bartender would still welcome them with open arms. That’s how I see it at least.”

“I was asked to kill his father if the negotiations of the opening of a new commerce route were to fail...luckily though there was no need for that, but I am scared of what will happen should he discover it...I just want to give him something that makes him understand that I love him...W-Without actually telling him.” the Snake-girl admitted with a low voice.

“So, are you asking for a _Love Potion_?” Ryu asked with a mischievous smile.

“N-N-Not really! Even if that would be nice too...I just would like there to be something that _tastes_ like love…”

“The Taste of Love…” Ryu muttered while taking out a small pot and a portable stove.

“Uh?”

“AH-hA! A new cocktail! That’s what I was waiting for!” the short man said with a toothy grin as he watched closely.

“What’s that?” the Nurse asked, curious.

“A Cocktail that tastes of Love.” Ryu answered.

“First we heat up some milk and melt chocolate into it, careful to not let it boil, this method produces what in this world we call **_Cioccolata_**.” Ryu explained while taking-out a big, squared bottle.

“What I am preparing is a variation of the cocktail called ‘ ** _Alexander’_** , but instead of using brandy and _Creme de Cacao_ , I will use actual chocolate and _Amaretto_ instead.”

“Ama-what? What is that?”

“ **Official name: _Amaretto Disaronno,_ produced in the land of Italy.**” Pod 1 answered.

“ ** _Amaretto is also called:_** _The_ _Liqueur of Love,_ ** _in this world_** _._ ” Pod 2 added.

“Liqueur of Love? A-Are you mocking me?” the Nurse asked with narrowed eyes.

“Things like _Love Potion_ _s_ don’t exist in my world, but _Works of Love_ instead do. And they show how Love can create wonderful things.” Ryu answered, nonplussed while the chocolate fully melt turning the milk into a uniform brown mixture.

“Works of Love?”

“Amaretto’s origins are said to go all the way back to hundreds of years ago. One of Italy’s greatest Artists and Inventors, Leonardo Da Vinci, had a student named Bernardino Luini. For seven years Luini lived in the city of Milan, in an inn near a church where he painted everyday, and it was said that a beautiful widow was also housed in that inn.

Luini was stricken by that woman, and used her as a model in a fresco, and even gave her a similar painting as a present, and critics nowadays all agree that every time Luini used that widow as a base for the women in his frescoes, they all looked ‘ _Destitute, but also elegant, meticulous and beautiful.”_

“…”

“In exchange for that present, the woman grafted a sweet liqueur for Luini, a liqueur many believe was the origin of Amaretto; that is why this is called the _Liqueur of Love_ , it’s something born from love.”

“…”

“Just like that woman, you are Elegant, Meticulous and Beautiful. You have plenty of qualities you are somehow ignoring in fear of rejection, and I am ready to bet your beloved _Sensei_ is aware of that too. Maybe there was something romantic between Luini and that woman or maybe there wasn’t, but what’s certain is that whatever ‘ _form’_ of Love there was produced something that lasted for centuries, either something as simple as a Liqueur or complex like a Fresco. And I am sure a Love intense like yours can produce something equally long-lasting, miss.” Ryu said while putting a martini glass in front of her.

“This cocktail is called **_Amaretto Alexander_**. Please enjoy. It’s born from 500 years-old Love.”

“ **Amaretto Alexander: 2 ounces Amaretto, 1 ½ ounces chocolate melted in 1 ounce of heavy cream. Variation added: melted chocolate instead of 1 ½ ounces of white crème de cacao added to 1 ounce of heavy cream.”** Pod 1 explained.

“...It’s good…” the snake-girl admitted with a small smile.

“Does it taste like Love?” Ryu asked.

“It does blend well the sweetness of the chocolate with the taste of almonds, it’s warm and sweet...Like Glenn’s smile…” she muttered, deep in thought.

“I can’t give you a _Love Potion_ , but even if I can actually ask to one of my Guests to gather some for me, we both know that would not be necessary.” Ryu said, smiling gently.

“...I am scared.”

“There may be a chance for him to return your feelings, or a chance for him not to. You’ll have to ask him.”

“Easier said than done!”

“Not really,” Ryu said.

“Uh?!”

“You just have to turn around and ask him.”

“…No…” the snake girl said, paling so much she almost turned literally white.

“Yes.” the young man behind her answered, uncertain.

“Since when he was here?!” the Nurse demanded.

“Enough to hear your sappy declaration of love, among other things.” the Yohra Unit _bouncer_ answered.

“Noooo!”

“I knew already of the assassination plan.” the doctor said, bluntly.

“What?!”

“Actually, remember when we were kids and you fell ill? Apparently one of the maids working for my father tried poisoning you in a misguided attempt to help along the Treaty...Luckily that woman was no expert so she used a poison not strong enough to affect a Lamia.”

“So both families planned the same thing?!” she asked, distraught.

“So it seems.”

“Then do you...Want to...Want to drink with me, Doctor?”

“I will be honoured.” the human answered, grasping tightly in his hand the tip of the Nurse snake tail while sitting on the stool next to her.

“No need for Love Potions indeed! Good Job!” a Guest said with a chuckle as soon as Ryu moved away to leave the two some privacy.

“You are mistaken, I did nothing this time as well,” Ryu answered, chuckling himself.

“Yeah, yeah...Whatever you say!” the woman answered, winking.

Love had many forms, shapes and _tastes_ , but at the end of the day, it still was a curious, chaotic, wonderful thing.

* * *

**Episode 2: Fluctuat Nec Mergitur / the Weight of a Subtle difference.**

**Another world – High School corridors -**

A young teen was calmly leaving for his school dormitories when he passed in front of what he believed to be an empty classroom.

“He has been a wreck lately.” he heard one of his teachers said with a sigh.

“You know he has his reasons,” another teacher, a woman, answered.

“It hurts him seeing that _thing_ going around willy-nilly knowing that it wears the face of one of his friend.”

“But he is not reacting!” the man answered, his voice unnaturally loud thanks to his powers.

“He is, just not in the way you would.” the woman countered.

By now the kid found himself eavesdropping out of sheer worry, who were they talking about?

“No. He is just letting himself go into depression! There is a difference!”

“A small difference.”

“It’s the smallest difference the one that makes the biggest change! And what’s worse, he isn’t even aware that his fear is dragging him down! He should use that knowledge as a way to push himself forward! That is the re-animated corpse of his friend! A guy who only deserve his eternal rest!”

“And how do you plan to help him take a decision, eh? He is leaving nobody get close, may it be depression or anger, he is not talking about it.”

“Well, this ends now! I am going to drag him here, use his own scarf to tie him to a chair and talk his ears off until something sticks to that grumpy brain of his!”

“Do you at least know what to say to snap him out of his funk and actually find a new determination from this?” the woman asked with crossed arms.

“...No, but I am sure I will come up with something!” the man answered after a short pause of thought before slamming the door open and marching towards their friend’s office.

“Slow down, I am coming too. _SOMEBODY_ with a bit more brain and tact is needed if you want this crazy plan to work!”

“Tact? You? Your Hero theme is ‘ _Dominatrix’_!”

“That has nothing to do with the matter at hand, I know how to be tactful!” the woman replied.

As soon as they arrived in front of the door, they took a deep breath and knocked.

“…”

“…”

“...Come on, open! We need to talk!” he said.

“…”

“...We are not going away until you open!” she added, annoyed.

“…”

“...Oh, to hell with it!” the man said, grabbing the door handle and, surprisingly, opening it with no issue to show an empty office.

“Where did he go now?!”

“The lights are still on, he must have left in a hurry.”

“WAIT! He is down there!” the woman said while pointing out of the window.

“He is being dragged by one of the students towards...A door?...They entered it and disappeared?!”

“I thought it was just a rumor…”

“What rumor?”

“A certain student apparently is a regular of a mysterious bar, and he goes there through a door leading nowhere that appears here once every seven days. Few students of his class swore high and low that the door and bar are real, but apparently it appears only for him and he is not privy to let everybody in the secret.”

“Well, that door looked damn real before disappearing!”

“Let’s go there, they will have to get out sooner or later!” the woman answered while hurrying out of the office soon followed by her blond colleague.

“Will he be safe?”

“He is a capable fighter and can disable the Powers of whoever he looks at, he is not defenseless!”

“Right!”

**At the same time – Another world – in a quiet cafe -**

The small Cafe was utterly empty besides the owner of the place and a young man with unruly hair and a cat hiding in his bag.

“You still can’t ask her?” the Cafe Owner asked with a sigh.

“It’s should be simple, but I still can’t.” the teen answered, sighing.

“ _Meoow!”_ the cat mewed with a low tune, sounding almost mournful.

“I know you did some pretty amazing things while being my Guest up in the attic last year, how is that more difficult than asking her that damn Question?” the old man said, looking at the teen in disbelief.

“She may think it’s too soon. Or just say no.” he answered.

“I get it that it is an important step, but sooner or later you will need to ask her. You went through all the steps, and now you won’t take the last one. It’s kind of amazing.”

“It’s hard.”

“It always is,”

“Always?”

“Any big decision is...Actually…”

“Uh?”

“ _Meow?”_

“I already had this discussion some time ago, few months after you first got here, and the guy actually helped me decide to give you the benefit of a doubt and try knowing you better.”

“Helped you?”

“Is it Saturday today, yes?” the old man asked while checking the calendar.

“Yes, but what does it has to do with this?”

“It’s important, now come with me, I’ll explain once there.” the old man said while moving towards the door.

“Where?”

“We are going to his bar.”

“Do they accept animals in there?”

“Ah! Ryu accepts damn everybody! You’ll see! Even you will find the place incredible!” the other answered, laughing amused and locking the door once both exited.

The two walked through the almost empty streets as the sun was rapidly setting down, but they paid no mind to the few people around as they moved through the various narrow streets until they entered a narrow alleyway with no exit, only a tall smooth wall.

“...There is nothing here.”

“Give it a minute.”

“A minu-”

_THUNK!_

“There it is!” the old man said as a plain door in reddish wood appeared on the wall out of nowhere.

“ _MEOW?!”_ the cat shrieked in surprise.

“Let me guess, he wants to know how this is possible.”

“Yes. _Mementoes_ should be closed-off by now,” the young man asked.

“The place is Magical, literally. This door appears here every Saturday, and I personally stumbled on it one night. I was piss-drunk and had tried taking a leak in a corner...Not my proudest moment, but what’s important is that curiosity got the better of me and I entered that door. There is the damn best bar ever existed there, and I am not talking about the cocktails only! The bartender there is one of a kind!”

“One of a kind?”

“What do you expect from somebody called **‘The Glass of Gods’**? Watered-down martini?! Let’s go! The first round will be on me!” the old man said while opening the door.

_Cling! Cling!_

“Ah! Good evening!” Ryu welcomed the two as soon as they entered.

“Hoy! I brought a friend along! He needs a _Pick-me-up_ and a Life Lesson! You up for it?”

“Cocktails I can make...But what is that thing about Life Lessons? I...I don’t give those.” the poor Bartender answered, unsure.

_Bullshit._

_Come on, nobody believes that!_

_Say that to somebody that does not come here every seven days!_

_That’s a Lie and you know it._

_Lying is a bad thing to do, Ryu-Darling!_

Each and every Guest already present commented with the same sarcasm and fake-cough barely covering their words, and each comment caused Ryu’s face to grow a tad bit redder.

“Please be reasonable, dear Guests!” Ryu asked with a groan.

“Just take care of the drinks, I know the rest will come naturally.” the old man answered, smirking.

“Yes, sir.” barely suppressing a sigh ( _it would have been unprofessional_ ), the Bartender nodded along.

“Good! You sit down here, boy! Next to the grumpy guy with kilometers-long scarf, I’ll go giving Ryu some details. I’ll be back soon.” the Cafe Owner said while forcefully making the young man sit next to the new arrival before joining the kid with wild green hair that bought the guy there in talking with Ryu with hushed tones.

“…”

“…”

“I got dragged here by one of my students, you?”

“I have lived in his attic for one year and we drew close, I consider him a Confidant and now he thinks this bar can help me.”

“Same here, that problem child says this place can help me...In what, I don’t know, but he was pretty insistent.”

“...It’s full of strange people.”

“Not really.”

“Not really?” the teen asked, curious.

“They say this Bar has a Magic door that connects to other Dimensions. If that is true seeing _Strange People_ here is a given,”

“...Not the strangest thing I did.” the other answered.

“No?”

“Not by much.”

“It’s the _gift_ of the Wild Card, an open mind able to accept everything Life throws at them and face it with bravery.” a Guest said, voice deep and rasping.

“…!”

“Happy to see you again, even if in such curious circumstances.” the strange old man with very big nose said from one of the tables.

“How?”

“The Room I work in is very special, existing on the boundary of Conscious and Subconscious means it can easily connect to this Bar whenever I wish to as well, once learned its whereabouts. But for the sake of manners, I still limit my visits to Saturdays only.” the big-nosed man explained.

“I would not mind you visiting during the rest of the week, sir.” Ryu offered.

“I know, but it would not be fair towards the other customers, so I will respect the rules.” he answered, chuckling.

“Uh. Curious.” the young man admitted, impressed.

“I am more worried about paying, he asks for gold and silver instead of yen.”

“UH?!”

“Me and you can use our money, they are good enough to work here. Those two instead will use a _pending_ _note_ , luckily there are always plenty.” the Cafe Owner said, sitting next to the teen while the kid remained sitting far away.

“...Come sitting next to me, _Problem Child!_ I am your guest, isn’t it? Then act properly as my Host.” the gruff teacher said with a grunt, and wildly ruffling the boy’s already wild hair as soon as he shyly sat next to him.

“What have you told him?” the teen asked.

“Oh! Nothing, just telling him what I wanted to drink.” the Cafe Owner answered, smirking.

“And you took all this time? What about me?”

“We are friends, so we talked a little, don’t get pushy! You and this grumpy gentleman instead...Well...Your first drink will be a surprise.”

“I am not grumpy.” the Teacher answered, grumbling.

“Here is your usual order: a **Spanish Carajillo.** ” Ryu said, moving the glass of coffee-based cocktail in front of the Cafe Owner.

“ _ **Spanish Carajillo: 4 oz coffee, ½ oz and ¼ oz Grand Marnier, 1 oz Rum and Coffee Liqueur, ¾ Jamaican Rum, ½ oz brown sugar syrup, 4 oz Heavy Cream. Decorated by fine Sugar and orange slice.**_ ” Pod 2 explained from behind Ryu.

“Sounds nice, maybe I’ll have one myself.” The Teacher said with a raised eyebrow.

“And what coffee did you use this time?” the Cafe Owner asked with a challenging look.

“ _ **Guatemalan SHB:**_ The acronym stands for ‘ _Strictly Hard Bean’_. It’s a grade given to coffee grown at a high altitude of 4,500 feet above sea level. Thanks to the environment it’s grown in, the coffee produced has a citrus-like acidity with a fruity, chocolate flavor. I believe it will go well with the Carajillo.” Ryu answered, promptly.

“... _You know your stuff._ ”

“Thank you, Mister cat.” the Bartender answered with a grateful nod.

“ _Y-Y-YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ME?!”_

“Everybody can, thanks to the Bar we all understand each other without Language Barrier.”

“ _How?!_ ”

“Magic.” Ryu answered, winking.

“...How much did you mumble while submerging him in questions?” The Teacher asked with a knowing look.

“I didn’t ask a question.” the kid answered.

“UH?!”

“I...I was _in a bad place_ when I first came here, I was not in the mood of asking questions, I just needed somebody to vent to...To listen to me without judging...And I found a _Tender Stool_ to lean on.” the kid answered with a small voice while Ryu gave him his non-alcoholic green-tea cocktail.

“It’s always a pleasure to welcome Guests back.”

“Thank you, Ryu-san. Not only for the drink.”

“Are you okay now, though?” the Teacher asked.

“Yes, thank you, Sensei.”

“He was really worried about you, you know?” Ryu said, making the poor kid deflate into a blushing mess of shame.

“Uh?”

“The way he described you reminded me of an old Guest of mine. He was a man that used to say that Teachers are good-for-nothing, and the ironic thing was that he was a Teacher himself.”

“Doesn’t defend well the category.”

“He was just feeling down, he forgot for a moment that he was a good teacher.”

“Really? How could you tell he was instead a good one?”

“By the way he talked to his former student as they drank together. The words that Teachers everywhere say are imbued with their soul, when kids hear them, they will be moved. If teachers are really good for nothing, if their souls have decayed, then kids would never remember what teachers told them.”

“…”

“Now one of my Guests came to me asking for help because one of his beloved teachers felt down, unable to move forward with their back straight and head held high like they usually would, so they dragged that Teacher here hoping to help him, like he helped them time and time again.” Ryu explained.

“...Damn brat.” the Teacher muttered, ruffling once again the kid’s head.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be, I appreciate the gesture, in a sense.” the man answered.

“Well, if the introductions are over, I say our friends can start drinking as well! And give me another!” the Cafe Owner said once finished emptying his glass.

“Of course, sir.”

“What will you make me drink? I don’t feel like anything too fancy.” the Teacher admitted.

“Then we’ll start simple. With a dark beer.” Ryu answered, filling two glasses in dark beer to give them to the two new Guests.

“Starting from the basics. Not that I mind, as for now what matters to me is the taste more than appearances…”

“It’s good,” the teen said.

“Don’t overdo, you may be old enough to drink now, but I won’t drag you back to the Cafe, your friends will skin me alive otherwise!”

“Of course.”

“Although, that would make it easier for you to do what you must!” the Cafe Owner added, smirking.

“Please don’t joke about it, it’s a complex thing.”

“Complex...I say it’s easy instead!”

“Actually, what is easy, can also be hard.” Ryu admitted.

“Uh?” both new arrivals muttered.

“What is simple, can also be the hardest thing to do. Take this cocktail, for instance.” the Bartender said while showing them the exact same bottle of beer he used for their glasses.

“It is an objectively _simple one_ as it doesn’t use water or a shaker. But exactly because it is _simple_ , it is also the hardest to _cheat_. A rule that is valid for every cocktail that exist.” Ryu explained while taking a bottle without a label to pour _something_ inside the two new glasses of beer to then delicately mix the content.

“Please go ahead and try it.”

“...You just added an ingredient. And yet here it is tasting different, it has the same _head_ and looks of a beer, but now it has a completely different taste, with a touch of sweetness...What have you done?” the Teacher asked.

“A subtle difference.” Ryu answered, smile no longer present on his face.

“Uh?”

“What is the difference between _Victory_ and _Defeat?_ Between _Despair_ and _Hope?_ ” the Bartender asked while taking out three different glasses: one short ( _A shot glass),_ one medium ( _a rock glass)_ and a tall and narrow one with a small opening on the top ( _a_ _nosing glass_ ).

“What are you doing?” the Teacher asked.

“A test, if you will. Inside the shot glass there is _**Caol Ila**_ , a whiskey that emits a strong barley fragrance. Please taste it.”

“ **Caol Ila…** ”

“From the Gaelic, ‘ _Islay Strait’_.” Ryu supplied.

“...As you said, it has a strong taste that leaves a strong impression…” the man admitted once emptied the short glass in one gulp, as intended.

“Like you do to your students the first time they see you.” Ryu answered, making the man’s head snap to the side to look at his student.

“...It kind of happens, sensei…” he admitted with a low voice.

“I leave a good ‘ _strong_ _impression’_ , I hope.”

“Yes, sensei.”

“Good.”

“Now try what’s in the rock glass, please, and tell me what’s in. This kind of glass has another name too, do you know it?”

“ _Old Fashion_ _ed_ _Glass._ ”

“Yep! The original form of the tumbler glass, it was originally used on boats, so it’s weighted on the bottom, that way even if it tips, it won’t fall that easily.” the Cafe Owner explained with a superior smirk.

“ _Wow,_ ” the cat muttered in surprise.

“A stable, old fashioned glass, one that will stand upright even against opposing currents and won’t fall easily...It’s a nice way to describe a teacher as well.” Ryu said.

“…” the Teacher simply looked at his student with a raised eyebrow, thing that caused the boy to try to wrap his arms several times around his head to hide his face.

“The Liquor’s fragrance will slowly spread, thanks to this glass. The ice will cause the alcohol’s temperature to slowly change, creating different aroma and flavor. Can you tell what I used to fill this?” The Bartender asked.

“Uhm...I am no expert...But I did spend some time in bars in my youth...The smoky fragrance is fainter, lighter than that _**Caol Ila**_ , but in contrast I can smell more peat. I think Mic once used this drink when we were teens to try wooing some foreign girl by acting as if he was an expert of Whiskey...Bowore or something?”

“ _ **Bowmore**_ , you mean?”

“That one.”

“Curious answer. What about the nosing glass? What’s in there?”

“A nosing glass…”

“Originally used by professionals, the opening is made small to accumulate fragrance, it’s actually the best kind of glass to bring out the full flavor and character of a liqour.” Ryu explained.

“...And this?” the Teacher asked.

“…”

“I am not angry.”

“...The opening is small...But is still there…” the kid muttered.

“I think he means that there is nothing wrong to open up a tiny bit to let others see and appreciate the character of what’s hidden inside,” the Cafe owner suggested.

“ _Hn!_ I came here to drink, not be psychoanalyzed...Eh? I remember this one...Some kind of fruity aroma and scent of flowers...Nemuri used to be obsessed with this stuff because her favourite actor was said to love the thing...Glen...Glenmorangie!” the Teacher said with a tone of surprise.

“You sure?”

“Yes! How do you know all this!?”

“I didn’t, because you have been wrong in both answers.” Ryu answered, showing a single bottle to the man.

“EH?!”

“All three drinks were _**Caol Ila.**_ While it’s true that the glass and ice only create minor differences, even a minor one can greatly alter how Liquor tastes and feel.”

“And the beers?” the young man asked.

“I squeezed a tomato in them.” the Bartender answered, showing a small dish of said vegetables.

“ _Tomato Juice in the beer?_ ” the cat asked.

“Yes, a cocktail called _**Red Eye**_. It usually doesn’t feature a stout beer, but I tried to make the bitter taste just a little stronger. In our world, this is also considered a _Reviver Cocktail_.”

“Reviver?” the teacher asked.

“Something that cheers you up and makes you feel refreshed.”

“...Damn problem child…” the Teacher muttered in disbelief.

“Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.”

“Sorry.” the kid repeated, making him sigh in dismay.

“There is also another drink that is referred to as a _Reviver_ , it’s called **Eye Opener**. Can you make it for this guy? God Forbid the name actually means that the cocktail helps him open his eyes!” the Cafe Owner asked, laughing at the young man unamused grunt.

“Of course, sir.” Ryu answered.

“ _ **Eye Opener**_ **: White Rum, egg yolk, Frangelico Herbs and Hazelnut liquer, Grand Marnier and a dash of syrup.** ” Pod 1 explained.

“Why you think I need to open my eyes, Boss?” the young man asked.

“Because you two idiots are sinking in self-doubts.” the Cafe Owner answered, bluntly.

“You don’t exactly know my situation,” the Teacher hissed.

“I don’t need to, I saw enough people drown in self-commiseration to recognize its symptoms! And if you two are actually real men and adults, you won’t sink! You will stand up and fight!”

“You-”

“Are you a Hero or not?” another Guest asked.

“I-”

“You need to show some spine if you want to teach your kids how to grow one themselves!” another said.

“You don’t-”

“Don’t even start it, young man.” another said, tone harsh and unforgiving.

“Are you calling me _old man?_ You probably are my same age!”

“Do not let my appearances fool you. It is not age or muscles that decide one strength! I was there both when the strength of _Men_ failed and when the most underestimated race of _Half-Men_ carried on and succeeded with a task so-called _Heroes_ failed to bring to an end. I saw Heroes born and fall, so I have every right to call you out as I saw that same moment of weakness in the eyes of who I once called _friend_ when we were in the mouth of that accursed volcano.” the Guest with long pointy ears cut him off abruptly.

“Eeh! Strength of character does not depends on muscles! See that short guy I am drinking with?” a near man with wild blue hair said while pointing at his drinking companion.

“Yes? He looks very unimpressive when compared to you.”

“And yet he came to the Gourmet World with me, he stayed there alone waiting for me when he was kidnapped because he held faith about my going there to save him, and even if scared out of his mind most of the time, he _never_ backed down, but stood by my side. We are in a _Combo_ and I couldn’t ask for a better friend and Chef to accompany me. He doesn’t need bulging muscles, his Heart is more than enough. So why are you not using yours to rise back to your feet?” the young muscle giant asked.

“Easy to say-”

“But hard to do.” the Cafe Owner countered.

“Pretty much.”

“Are you afraid of something?”

“…”

“Are you? We all come from other worlds and will never see you again if you not come anymore, and Ryu himself has such a peculiar view of what a Bartender is, that he will gladly take your secret to the grave,”

“I...I will move to one of the tables, so I won’t hear a thing.” the green-haired kid said with a small voice while getting up.

“Please, stay.” the teacher said while gently grabbing his shoulders.

“Eh?”

“You are returning the favour from your first day of school, isn’t it?”

“N-No. I-I just want to help.”

“It’s okay, sit down.”

“…”

“There is...A Villain. An artificial being that has been created with the dead body of a dear friend of mine. His Master was very happy to openly confirm that we have been fighting the reanimated corpse of one of us they shamelessly used to create their latest lackey…”

“It’s horrible.” the young man with the Cafe Owner said with a low voice.

“The problem is that now I know this, and while part of me wants to fight and destroy that thing so to finally let my friend rest in peace...Another part of me is afraid.”

“In a sense, your friend is once again alive, even if as a _mockery_ of him, and defeating that thing would mean _Killing him again_ , is that what you fear?” Ryu asked.

“Yes. As you said, it’s the difference between _Victory_ and _Defeat_ : Fear. I know what I must do, but I am also afraid of doing it.” the Teacher admitted with a sigh.

“I am always afraid, sensei…”

“Uh?”

“I was afraid during the USJ attack. I was afraid when I fought against _Muscular_. And I am even afraid whenever I enter class any normal day. But you taught me to not let fear control me, nor letting it weight me down, so I fight against it with all my might everyday.”

“ _We were damn afraid when fighting Yaldabaoth too_ , _but we did not back down until we won_.” the cat said from the young man’s bag.

“Sometimes Fear is too much, though.” the Teacher countered with a sigh.

“Then ask for help if the thing weights too much!” the Cafe Owner answered.

“Ask for help?”

“Don’t you have friends?”

“...Yes, but-”

“ _Fluctuat Nec Mergitur_.” Ryu said.

“What does that mean?”

“ **From the dead Language** _ **Latin**_ **, it can be translated as:** _He who rises with the wave is not swallowed by it._ ” Pod 1 explained.

“It’s the motto written on the ship-shaped coat of arms of Paris. No matter how bad the weather gets, how turbulent the current becomes or how badly a ship is torn, even when the sail breaks, the ship will not and MUST NOT sink. This also holds value for us humans.” the Bartender said, taking out a bottle of navy rum.

“You have good students and good friends begging you to let them help you through these wild currents, there is no shame in asking for help, especially when we cannot stay afloat by ourselves.” Ryu said while taking out few other bottles.

“This cocktail I am preparing is called ‘ _ **Jack Tar’**_ , a specialty from this world’s Yokohama’s Lounge _Windjammer_.” he explained while shaking the thing and then pouring the resulting mix into a rock glass filled in crushed ice.

“ _Jack Tar:_ _ **1 shot Navy Rum, ½ shot Bourbon Whiskey, ½ Rutte Dry Gin, ¼ shot Lime Juice and ¼ shot lemon juice both freshly squeezed and ¼ Demerara Syrup. Garnished by a Lemon wedge**_ ” Pod 2 listed.

“...Very strong...But fruity…” the Teacher muttered once tasted it, his expression one of wonder.

“Jack Tar refers to sailors, and a Windjammer is a strong sailing ship made of mostly iron. But even a ship like that requires ‘ _Jack Tars’_ to keep afloat, and they need to give their all so the ship will not sink. The most important thing for a Jack Tar and a Windjammer to not sink no matter what, is to always move forward.”

“Move forward...Not sink…”

“A ship may stay afloat by itself in calm waters, but even the mightiest vessel may need help from willing sailors to not sink when faced with a storm. Would it be so bad to let these _Jack Tars_ help along this time?” Ryu asked.

“...Are those sailors really willing though?” the Teacher whispered while absent-mindedly drinking.

“If you don’t try asking, you will never know, you fool.” the Cafe Owner answered.

“…”

“What about me?” the young man asked.

“You too are faced with a storm?”

“More or less,” he admitted while taking out a small box and opening it.

“That is a very big wave, to keep on the metaphor.” Ryu admitted with a small smile.

“What if she says no?”

“And what if she says yes?” the Bartender countered.

“...Both would be equally bad.”

“How so?”

“Those are _waters_ I know nothing about.”

“Searching for a language that cannot be spoken, perhaps that’s the first step towards adulthood.”

“We have been together three years already, is it too soon?”

“There is not a fixed requirement for that, is up to the two of you to decide.”

“I am...Kind of afraid.”

“Do you Love her?” the Teacher asked.

“Yes. Very.”

“Does she Love you?” Ryu asked.

“I like to think she does.”

“Then be a man and ask her, even if she says no, it may mean ‘ _Not Now’_ instead of ‘ _Never’_.” the Cafe Owner said.

“…” the teen just hummed, deep in thought.

“Please help me, he keeps humming about it, help me help him take a damn decision!” the Cafe Owner begged with a groan.

“Is one of your Guests an expert of romanticism?” the grumpy Teacher asked.

“NO!” Ryu said in horror.

“ME! ME! I’ll help!” a blond girl with pale blue eyes said immediately.

“I am literally the _Princess of Love!_ I’ll help you!”

“I’ll help!”

“ME TOO!”

“What have you done, sensei?” the kid asked, groaning as their seats went immediately swarmed by nosy ‘ _Love experts’_ of both genders.

“I-I did not know things were this bad, my apologies…” the Teacher said, grimacing in pure horror.

**Later that night – In another world – High School -**

The two teachers that had watched their colleague/friend disappear behind the mysterious door were still pacing back and forth in the same area the door used to stand on.

“It’s been two hours! Why has he not come back yet?!” the blond one asked.

“When was the last time we got to a bar and came out after _only_ two hours?” the woman asked back in sarcasm.

“Now is different! We are not there with him making sure he is safe!”

“I was not aware we were his babysitters.”

“I am his friend! It’s normal that I worry!”

“I am his friend too, don’t forget,” she hissed in answer.

_THUNK!_

“KYAH!” both adults shrieked in fear at the sudden reappearance of the Door.

_Dling! Dling!_

“Thank you for coming, sir.” Ryu was heard say from inside as soon as the thing opened.

“Don’t mind if I come back again,” the Teacher said with a nod.

“Of course, sir. Have a nice week.” the Bartender answered, and as soon as the door closed, it disappeared again for good.

“YOU ARE BACK! YOU ARE ALIVE!” the blond man bellowed in relief, so much that he momentarily lost control of his Powers and rising the volume of his voice to inhuman levels.

“Yes I am alive, now stop screaming!” the other answered, annoyed.

“How do you feel?” the woman asked.

“...Open to talk...If you feel like listening,” he admitted with a small voice.

“We are, we are.” she replied, smiling.

“Hey.” the Teacher then said, freezing the kid in place while he tried to stealthily leave the area.

“Thank you.”

“I-I just wanted to help, sensei!”

“And I appreciate that. You found quite the good bar, do you think he will mind if I get back with few friends?”

“Is not up to me to decide, sensei. Ryu-san is the owner.”

_Thunk!_

To his surprise the door appeared again.

“...I think it means that the Bar recognizes you as a Regular now, sensei…”

“Uh! Good to know. You get back to your dorm now, it’s getting late.”

“Of-Of course!” the kid answered immediately.

“Good night, sensei!” he then said before hurrying away.

“...He’s a good kid.” the Teacher said while re-opening the door.

“Ah! You back already, sir?”

“Just took the kid to bed, can we come in? I would like to introduce two friends to you…AND have another _**Jack Tar**_ , I think I found my famous ‘ _The Usual’_ in this Bar.”

“It will be my pleasure, sir. Please, do come in.” Ryu answered.

“Get in, you two. You won’t regret it.” the other said while entering again the bar.

“What do you think?” the woman asked.

“It made him open enough to talk, may as well…” the blond answered.

“...Eh!” giving a synchronized shrug, the two Teachers soon followed their friend in what will curiously become their new favourite bar.

**The next day – Cafe – another world -**

“Hey there!” the blond girl waved excitedly once entered the cozy place and seen her boyfriend.

“Thank you for coming,” the young man answered, waving back.

“Uh? You okay?” she asked, worried.

“...I need to ask you something.”

“Something? What is it?”

At that the young man neared her and took her hand in his, turned it upside down and gently put a tiny box on her palm.

“I need to know if it is a _Yes_ or a _No..._ Please.” he asked opening the tiny box to show a ring inside.

“…!” a silent scream tore its way out of the girl’s mouth as she used her free hand to cover it.

“...So? Will you mar-”

“YES!” she squeaked before hugging the life out of him.

“Eh! Finally asked her, about damn time.” the Cafe Owner muttered, chuckling, from his hiding spot in the small kitchen of the place from where he watched the girl trembling the entire time it took him to put the ring on her finger before she could hug him again.

“Cheers to the future newly-weds!” he said to himself while taking a celebratory sip from his coffee mug.

Young or Old, Love was always a pleasure to watch.

**Extra Chart – Guest War -**

Ryu was in a bit of a pickle at the moment…

Apparently some of his Guests where on _opposite sides_ in their original worlds, and deemed his Bar ‘ _Neutral Ground’_ , basically a place where fights between Good and Evil were prohibited.

_**We leave everything out of that door!** _

That was the unanimous rule the Guests had given themselves, and Ryu was fine with it...Until those rare moments where ‘ _Heroes’_ and ‘ _Villains’_ actually entered the bar at the same moment came to pass.

“You.” the turtle with spiked shell said from the ‘ _Villains’_ side.

“A-me.” the red-dressed man countered with narrowed eyes from the ‘ _Heroes’_ side.

“Princess...Brat…” the giant man with dark armor said.

“Garudo Sorcerer.” the Princess and her friend/Guard in green tunic countered, tone just as scornful.

“Goddamnit, I came here to drink, not to meet some annoying NPCs!” the guy covered in hands hissed.

“The displeasure is mutual.” the skinny blond man from the opposite side of the room answered, eyes locked on the masked _Leader_ of the small group of Villains.

“I can’t believe you are actually civil enough to enter a bar!” the blond woman in orange armor spat in disgust.

“ **Can’t say I like seeing you here either, Chozo Spawn!** ” the winged demonic-looking alien creature hissed in answer.

“…”

“...The air is kind of intense this time, Ryu…” Miwa said with a whisper.

She, Saito and Kuzuhara were once again visiting Ryu’s bar on Saturday to check how he was doing, and finally saw one of the dreaded ‘ _Heavy Days’_ the young Bartender told them about.

“It happens, sometime. Luckily I do have a couple ways to keep things civil…” Ryu answered.

“Really? How?” Saito asked.

“Pod, please let’s try with the music.” the Bartender said.

“ **Understood. Playing ‘ _Musical Distraction Playlist 3.”_** Pod 1 answered promptly.

“Calming music, good idea.” Kuzuaìhara ( _also known as **Mister Perfect**_ ) commented with a nod.

“Not really…” Ryu said with a weak chuckle.

“Uh?”

“SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN!” one of the ‘ _Good Guys’_ said immediately, jumping to his feet.

“Tch!” the ‘ _Bad Guys_ ’ side scoffed as one in annoyance.

“ _ **Score: Heroes:1 – Villains: 0.”**_ Pod 2 declared.

“Just luck.” a guy with wild red hair and a face mask hissed in contempt.

“Then guess the next one, Mushroom Bastard!” the Guest with a Lizard head answered.

“…!”

“ _Born to be Alive._ Patrick Hernandez, released in 1978. _”_ the Guest wearing a strange metal mask covering his entire head declared as soon as the first few notes started playing.

“ _ **Correct. Score: Villains: 1 – Heroes: 1.**_ ” Pod 2 answered.

“Tch! Of course you know that! Other than planning from the shadows and letting others do the dirty work for you, you have nothing to do in your life!” the skeletal blond man spat in answer.

“Watch your tongue!” the humanoid being of purple smoke next to the Masked Guest growled in warning.

“Dear Guests, please be nice.” Ryu begged.

“They started it!” a strange Guest ( _a bi-dimensional yellow triangle with a single eye and a top hat_ ) answered, whining, and getting in answer a raspberry from the two kids and the two old men accompanying them.

“Oh, cry me a river!” a strange dragon-like creature with body parts of different shapes and colours countered from the opposite side of the room.

“Next song, Pod, please.” Ryu said, sighing.

“ **Understood.** ”

“So, since they can’t fight, they _fight_ by trying to guess more songs?” Miwa asked, confused.

“It is one of the few ways I have to stop them from being rowdy, as strange as it sounds.” Ryu admitted, sighing.

“It happens when the forces of Evil and Good meet.” Kuzuhara muttered.

“...There is also an unspoken challenge when these days happen…” the Bartender admitted, ashamed.

“Which is?” Saito asked.

“They seem to challenge each other on who leaves the largest tip…” Ryu muttered as a gold bar the size of a watermelon landed in front of him.

“Holy cow!” Saito yelled with wide eyes.

“That’s a lot of gold…” Kuzuhara admitted with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes.”

“For the service.” a tall young girl with raven hair said coldly.

“Go, Yaomomo!”

“ _Tch,_ Amateur! THIS is how you tip a Bartender!” another guest, an elegantly-dressed skeleton, answered by teleporting a pure diamond as big a human head right next to the gold bar.

“ _Sasouga,_ _master_ _!_ You are the most generous of them all!” the woman with black wings accompanying the skeleton said immediately.

“Fool! You think that pebble is a tip? Let me show you paupers how it’s done!” the purple humanoid Cat hissed in contempt, and behind him the blue-skinned man summoned from his staff an ordinate pile of gold bars, each one of them the size of a human arm.

“I won’t be undone!”

“Me neither, you cheap-ass!”

“...This is also how I can maintain the _Pending Note_ thing.” Ryu admitted, dryly.

“What the Fu-” Miwa almost cursed if not for Saito’s hand covering her mouth in time.

“A lady should not curse.” the man chided gently, chuckling.

“How can I not?! Those tips alone can fund a nation!” the woman hissed, shocked.

“I have to be careful when I bring the gold to be exchanged, actually.” Ryu explained.

“I don’t envy you...No...Actually, I do.” Saito admitted with a sigh.

“Sorry, Saito-san.” Ryu muttered while behind them the mountain of tips kept getting higher and higher

 _ **A Little Game: Are you able to tell who are the guests that appeared in this Chapter? Tell me in the reviews!**_.


End file.
